When we combine harmonious intervals to create chords, there are various conventions we follow (consciously or otherwise) to avoid unpleasant dissonances. Here, we’re going to do no such thing! We ...

There’s no such thing as a nasty-sounding chord: it all depends on what you’re used to. That’s the suggestion from a study of more than 160 people from the US and Bolivia, which found that people may ...

With perhaps one idea too many, curators Meg Onli and Chrissie Iles have put together a Whitney Biennial this year that ultimately touches upon the news cycle, with A.I., trans experience, indigenous ...

Some combinations of notes inherently sound better than others, right? It’s why the bread and butter of pop music, which is engineered to be upbeat and danceable, is highly consonant major chords.

I quit making New Year’s resolutions years ago. I joke that my resolution is to make no resolutions. However, as a musician, every resolution I make is made very publicly! Resolution in music is ...

Scientists have been studying the origins of musical taste for years. There’s certainly evidence for biological influences, such as the idea that our taste in music changes with age. Now a new study ...

A decade after his death from prostate cancer, Frank Zappa is still bestowed with such labels as “icon,” “legend” and “cult hero.” He was also a weird and complicated guy, which added to his appeal -- ...

Almost everyone has "their song," the song that you listen to whenever you get the chance. Sometimes, you and your friends will even share that song, because we generally have similar tastes to the ...

Princeton, N.J. – Composers often speak of fitting chords and melodies together, as though sounds were physical objects with geometric shape -- and now a Princeton University musician has shown that ...