What is it about?
Of course, we know from harmony theory what kind of chord a 3 or 4 tone chord is, but our calculation is strictly psychoacoustical (tones in Hertz and upper partials).
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Why is it important?
The fact that we can calculate what kind of chord we have means that major and minor (etc.) are determined by acoustical factors, and are NOT simply something we picked up in a particular musical culture.
Perspectives
The algorithm that distinguishes between major and minor chords (with positive and negative modality scores) also identifies the "tension chords" (with modality scores near zero). I conclude that the definition of modality in the 21st century should be expanded to include a "tension modality" - most frequently used in jazz music and modern classical. The augmented chord is the best example of a tension chord that leaves hanging in mid air…. waiting for major or minor resolution. The diminished triads and the suspended triads are also tension chords.
Norman Cook
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Calculation of the acoustical properties of triadic harmonies, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, December 2017, Acoustical Society of America (ASA),
DOI: 10.1121/1.5018342.
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