An instrument’s upper partial strength determines how dissonant the same interval sounds

Evidence

The discomfort caused by beating of upper partials obviously depends on the strength of those upper partials. Different instruments (and also the same instrument under different conditions of play) will have different susceptibilities to dissonance. A pipe organ softly playing G3 and an A3, in “modern” equal temperament, sounds slightly dissonant, but not unpleasant. However, two trumpets, with more upper partials, playing the same two notes, sound rather bad, with annoying beating (figure 26.11). — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2352

Categorization

• CANDY: The same two notes sound fine on organ but bad on trumpets — a striking, accessible demonstration of timbre shaping consonance.