What makes something musically sound? Part 1.

I've had several discussions about what makes the music itself, good music. What does make it good? Consonance is often equated with quality music, but is dissonance bad? No, not at all. Can it be bad? Of course, everything can be used in the wrong way. 

"In music, a consonance (Latin con-, "with" + sonare, "to sound") is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable (at rest), as opposed to a dissonance (Latin dis-, "apart" + sonare, "to sound"), which is considered unstable (or temporary, transitional). In more general usage, a consonance is a combination of notes that sound pleasant to most people when played at the same time; dissonance is a combination of notes that sound harsh or unpleasant to most people." 
Dissonance is quite often thought to be bad music, but it's not always. Often times by talented musicians and song writers it is used to create an eerie atmosphere, or unsettle the listener. However, when it's not properly used, it tends to create chaos.

So, aside from Dissonance and Consonance, what are other things that can make a song musically sound or not so? Blending, if the different instruments and the voices are either all doing the same thing, or they don't blend well, chances are that song isn't musically sound.

There will be more to come on this subject in a later post.






http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonance_and_dissonance