PERCEPTION OF MUSICAL TENSION IN SHORT CHORD SEQUENCES - THE INFLUENCE OF HARMONIC FUNCTION, SENSORY DISSONANCE, HORIZONTAL MOTION, AND MUSICAL TRAINING

This study investigates the effect of four variables (tonal hierarchie s, sensory chordal consonance, horizontal motion, and musical training ) on perceived musical tension. Participants were asked to evaluate th e tension created by a chord X in sequences of three chords (C major - -> X --> C major) in a C major context key. The X chords could be majo r or minor triads major-minor seventh, or minor seventh chords built o n the 12 notes of the chromatic scale. The data were compared with Kru mhansl's (1990) harmonic hierarchy and with predictions of Lerdahl's ( 1988) cognitive theory, Hutchinson and Knopoff's (1978) and Parncutt's (1989) sensory-psychoacoustical theories, and the model of horizontal motion de fined in the paper. As a main outcome, it appears that judg ments of tension arose from a convergence of several cognitive and psy choacoustics influences, whose relative importance varies, depending o n musical training.