Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Dissonance is in the ear of the beholder. With education and familiarity, what one originally thought was dissonant may become less so, or even desirably consonant, over time and perhaps with practice. Originally an improvisor by ear, once I learned more music theory as a teenager, a lot of the mystery cleared up and I suddenly heard beauty in what had been dissonance based on confusion.


Right on, I experienced this and a whole lot of stuff became prettier and more accessible. History has proved that, too. The more we hear something "new", the more we tend to "accept" it over time. I think it works that way with time signatures, too.