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Updated: Apr 6, 2026

fMRI Mapping of Brain Activity Associated with the Vocal Production of Consonant and Dissonant Intervals
Published on: May 23, 2017
A biological rationale for musical consonance
Daniel L Bowling1, Dale Purves2
1Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; purves@neuro.duke.edu dan.bowling@univie.ac.at.
None:
The basis of musical consonance has been debated for centuries without resolution. Three interpretations have been considered: (i) that consonance derives from the mathematical simplicity of small integer ratios; (ii) that consonance derives from the physical absence of interference between harmonic spectra; and (iii) that consonance derives from the advantages of recognizing biological vocalization and human vocalization in particular. Whereas the mathematical and physical explanations are at odds with the evidence that has now accumulated, biology provides a plausible explanation for this central issue in music and audition.
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