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Abstract:
Consonance and dissonance refer respectively to the feeling
of pleasantness and unpleasantness associated with the perception
of two or more notes sounded simultaneously. Thus, consonance plays
a major role in music appreciation. Previous studies showed that
dissonant chords at the end of musical sequences elicit the
occurrence of a P300 component. The aim of the present experiment
was to isolate the electrophysiological activity due to sensory
dissonance, i.e. the dissonance generated by the acoustical
properties of sounds, independently of any musical context. Stimuli
were the different intervals within an octave. The notes were
played either simultaneously, thus forming harmonic intervals, or
successively, thus forming melodic intervals. ERPs were recorded
while musicians and non musicians listened to these melodic and
harmonic intervals. Participants gave an evaluation of the
pleasantness of each interval on a 6-point scale. ERPs were
averaged both according to the classification of the intervals
following musical theory and to each participants responses.
Results showed no P300 associated with dissonant harmonic
intervals, thus suggesting that the occurrence of the P300 depends
on the presence of a musical context. Some differences emerged as a
function of consonance and level of expertise. The implications of
these findings for the theory of musical consonance will be
discussed.
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