Attempt at a New Theory of Music

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...they have drawn, nor is the sense of hearing Latin: auditus even able to grasp such complex ratios in this genre as it can in the other. Therefore, in the explanation of musical composition itself—which looks only to the difference between low and high sounds Latin: sonos graves et acutos; referring to pitch—a beginning has been made with consonances, or multiple sounds ringing out together. Here, not only have all the consonances that can possibly occur in music been enumerated, but they have also been arranged according to their degrees of pleasantness Latin: suavitas; a key concept in the author's theory regarding the "sweetness" or "smoothness" of intervals. From this arrangement, one can immediately judge how much more easily some consonances may be perceived than others. Next, we progressed to the succession of two consonances, and we demonstrated how two compared consonances ought to be structured so that the succession itself is rendered pleasing to the ear. Then, indeed, we extended the same principle to a series of many consonances, and thus to any musical works whatsoever, since the duration of sounds...