ABSTRACT
For two reasons the definition of consonance and dissonance1 has changed over the years: (1) from time to time opinions as to which intervals are consonant and which dissonant have varied; and (2) the precise meaning of the terms themselves has not had a uniform explanation from writers on music.2 For instance, in 1597 Thomas Morley defined a consonant sound as one which “delights” the ear, a dissonant sound as one which “offends.”3 Many other writers, especially those writing before the nineteenth century, also speak of “pleasantness” and “unpleasantness” as aspects of consonance and dissonance respectively.
