Consonance vs Dissonance

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Consonance	Dissonance
Definition	Intervals or chords perceived as stable, restful, and complete.	Intervals or chords perceived as tense, unstable, and seeking resolution.
Category	harmony	harmony
Pronunciation	—	—
Origin	Latin	Latin
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	Concord Stability	Discord Tension
Antonyms	Dissonance	Consonance
Usage	The final chord of the chorale resolves to pure consonance, bringing the harmonic journey to a satisfying close.	The dissonance of the diminished seventh chord creates an almost unbearable tension that resolves beautifully onto the tonic.

Definition: Intervals or chords perceived as stable, restful, and complete.
Category: harmony
Origin: Latin
Synonyms: Concord Stability
Antonyms: Dissonance
Usage: The final chord of the chorale resolves to pure consonance, bringing the harmonic journey to a satisfying close.

Definition: Intervals or chords perceived as tense, unstable, and seeking resolution.
Category: harmony
Origin: Latin
Synonyms: Discord Tension
Antonyms: Consonance
Usage: The dissonance of the diminished seventh chord creates an almost unbearable tension that resolves beautifully onto the tonic.