Auditory stream segregation and the control of dissonance in polyphonic music

Abstract

The psychoacoustic theory of “auditory stream segregation” brings a set of vital new concepts to music theory. The present paper explores some of the ways that these concepts can inform our understanding of the patterns of polyphonic music. The authors introduce music theorists to some of the ideas and research that have evolved into the theory of auditory stream segregation, and they discuss some of the ways that the auditory stream‐forming process can influence our perception of the linear and harmonic dimensions of polyphonic music. The paper focuses in particular on how contrapuntal patterns can be manipulated, according to the principles of auditory stream segregation, to control the perception of harmonic dissonance. In addition to raising some new questions about the psychoacoustic definition of dissonance, this approach demystifies certain well‐established principles of traditional music theory and provides new ways to explain contrapuntal phenomena.