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About the dissonance of two tones a half-step apart, you are already used to a more melodious example, the Maj7 chord. CMaj7 has both a C and a B natural, and they sound fine together, even next to each other. For example, try voicing it on a piano like this, going up: B, C, E, G. It should sound fine, partially because we are used to that sound in Western music.

Thanks Matt, I only realize this now :-) Should this be due to the fact that the half tone interval is next to the root note? Are there other chords with half tone intervals that don't clash?


Plenty. The variants of Maj7, such as Maj9 and Maj13.

The placement of the tones has no bearing. I just gave you one inversion of the chord.

For another example, a 13 chord has both the 13 (an octave above the sixth) and the minor seventh, so that yields a half-step 'clash'. Same for a #9 chord, with a half-step between the major third and the sharp nine (again, an octave apart).

But 'clash' is in the ear of the beholder (behearer?). I don't hear a 'clash' in any of those chords. Others might, but I hear an opportunity.

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