Ispectrum Magazine Ispectrum Magazine #10 | Seite 46

chord is not the effort
of the E to resolve.
Instead, the defining
musical experience is
identifying with the
will for the E not to
change – to allow it to
keep resonating as it
is. If we want to apply
this idea with great-

er nuance in a musical context, we may
also need to take into
account the preceding
or subsequent harmonies, if not also the
harmonies anticipated.
Below we will discuss
the nature of some of
the chords as deter-

mined by the Theory of
Musical Equilibration.
More information on the
interpretation of these
emotional characters
can be found in the
manuscript ‘Music and
Emotions - Research on
the Theory of Musical
Equilibration´.

Why do major chords
sound cheerful?

The Theory of Musical
Equilibration
states
that when we hear a
major chord, we identify with a process of
the will that says, ‘Yes,
I want to’. In emotional
terms, we can describe
this process of the will
as ‘identifying with a
feeling of sober-minded contentment with
the present moment’,
a sense of satisfaction.

There are, however, other qualities the
major chord can evoke

as well: we will address
those below.

A major chord
can express a
feeling of being
content

Major chord
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