Tracking consonance: the intersection of music theory and music psychology

Running through the various fields of musical consonance research is the notion that consonance represents the intersection of music theory and music psychology. This study used standard dictionaries to provide an unbiased definition of consonance. The development of the concept of consonance, as defined in the Natural Law of Consonance by simple ratios, was tracked over a 2600 year span into the present Computer Age. The Music Acuity and Perception of Consonance Scale employed online testing and survey techniques to measure the sense of consonance of selected participants known as "friends" from the online social network Facebook. The subjects were able to detect the difference between Equal Temperament and Just Intonation, finding Just Intonation more consonant. One aspect, smoothness or tonal consonance, was a particularly good standard for use in the process of establishing a correlation between the other aspects. The various sub-definitions or aspects of consonance were found to be part of the overall definition of consonance, with a high correlation tending to support the complete definition approach. A reestablishment of the Natural Law of Consonance is suggested, in order to control consonance and dissonance as another dynamic, and reclaim this fundamental musical element.