The perception of melodic consonance: an acoustical and neurophysiological explanation based on the overtone series

2004/03/22 by Jared E. Anderson, Anderson, Jared E.
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Neuroscience · Psychology · #FOS: Biological sciences #Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation #Multisensory perception and integration #Neurons and Cognition (q-bio.NC) #Neuroscience and Music Perception #q-bio.NC

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.q-bio/0403031

18 pages, 4 figures

arxiv created 2004/03/22 · openalex publication_date 2004/03/22 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

The melodic consonance of a sequence of tones is explained using the overtone series: the overtones form "flow lines" that link the tones melodically; the strength of these flow lines determines the melodic consonance. This hypothesis admits of psychoacoustical and neurophysiological interpretations that fit well with the place theory of pitch perception. The hypothesis is used to create a model for how the auditory system judges melodic consonance, which is used to algorithmically construct melodic sequences of tones.

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