Tension (music)

In music, tension is the perceived need for relaxation or release created by a listener's expectations. For example, dissonance may give way to consonance. Tension may also be produced through reiteration, increase in dynamic level, or gradual motion to a higher pitch (Kliewer 1975, p. 290).

Experiments in music perception have explored perceived tension in music (Fredrickson 1999) and perceived emotional intensity (Brittin and Duke 1997; Sloboda and Lehmann 2001).

See also

• Conclusion (music)
• Variation (music)

References

• Brittin, R. V., & Duke, R. A. (1997). Continuous versus Summative Evaluations of Musical Intensity: A Comparison of Two Methods for Measuring Overall Effect. International Journal of Research in Music Education, 45(2), 245–258.
• Fredrickson, W. E. (1999). Effect of Musical Performance on Perception of Tension in Gustav Holst's First Suite in E-flat. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47(1), 44–52.
• Kliewer, Vernon (1975). "Melody: Linear Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music", Aspects of Twentieth-Century Music. Wittlich, Gary (ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-049346-5.
• Sloboda, J. A., & Lehmann, A. C. (2001). Tracking Performance Correlates of Changes in Perceived Intensity of Emotion During Different Interpretations of a Chopin Piano Prelude. Music Perception, 19(1), 87–120.