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In this chapter we will learn how to both incorporate and handle a dissonance in a chord, specifically the dissonance of the diminished fifth found between the root and fifth chord tones of the diminished triad which is built on scale degree in the major diatonic mode.
The easiest dissonant "chord" would be something like a V7 (let's say G7 in Cmajor) which uses the 7th interval as the dissonant, leading tone to guide the ear back to I. Essentially, you are looking at VII and II as being your predominantly dissonant intervals, while III and VI will be harmonic.
Strategies for Avoiding Dissonance: Chord Substitutions, Changing the Rhythm, and Changing the Chord Progression. Sometimes the combination of a note of the melody and a note within a harmonic chord will cause dissonance, also known as “that assy sound." The dissonance is caused by two or more tones that “clash.”.
The consonance or dissonance of a chord is related, but it's not a very strong relationship in many cases. The best example I can think of is sometimes a very dissonant, tense chord structure resolves to a target chord. For instance C#dim7 may resolve to Dmin7, or Eb7#11 may resolve to Dmaj7.
Consonance and dissonance refer to intervals and chords. The interval between two notes is the number of half steps between them, and all intervals have a name that musicians commonly use, like major third (which is 4 half steps), perfect fifth (7 half steps), or octave.
Deviating from the major triad to create dissonant harmony serves the same purpose harmonically as deviating from predictable scale patterns serves in melody. It creates interest and suspense. Any time you’re not playing a simple triad, you’re playing a dissonant chord.
In major scales, a diminished triad occurs only on the seventh scale degree. For instance, in the key of C, this is a B diminished triad (B, D, F). Since the triad is built on the seventh scale degree, it is also called the leading-tone triad. This chord has a dominant function.
