Consonance

In music, consonance (euphony) is a subjective notion according to which certain musical intervals are considered less tense than others. In opposition to this concept, there is that of dissonance, which is used to refer to intervals that are considered more tense than others. According to the Royal Spanish Academy, consonance is the "quality of those sounds that, heard simultaneously, produce a pleasant effect."

Today the intervals of unison, minor third, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, minor sixth, major sixth and octave are accepted as consonances. The compound intervals that derive from these are also considered consonants. Some classifications divide consonances into perfect (perfect eighths, fifths, and fourths) and imperfect (thirds and sixths).