Discord

In music, discord refers to a state of disharmony between notes or chords, or the feeling of disharmony experienced by the listener, usually caused by notes separated by irregular intervals. In most Western music traditions, discord is usually experienced as the musical tones move further away from major 3rd and major 5th intervals, whereas in many Eastern traditions, intervals either closer together or further apart than the major 3rd and 5th are considered very pleasant. Many listeners interperate and experience augmented and diminished scales and chords as discordant. <br><br>Discord is often used to create tension, whereby that tension is released when the music becomes more harmonious or consonant. Quite often in music, a phrase of tense or discordant notes or chords is followed by a consonant chord, or sometimes just the root note, as a way of ending the phrase and ending the tension.<br><br>Jazz music and later 20th century music has brought to an end the Boroque or "common practice era" harmony, allowing for phrases to begin and end with what would be traditionally considered discordant chords.<br>