So I don’t know a ton about music theory, but I’m curious about how this works. Why do our brains like to hear chords that are in tune? And how do we explain why something is tuned properly?
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It is mostly context that makes chords sound “better” or “worse”. There is still no right or wrong chord, and better or worse is up to you as a listener.
Harmony, or how notes sound together, basically falls into two kinds, consonant and dissonant. Consonant is very nice sounding, while dissonant is a bit tense.
You might think that a tense sounding chord is a bad sounding chord all the time, but it isn’t. These chords are made to sound good by giving it context.
Maybe in one case, it is used so that a consonant sounding chord played after it will sound even more satisfying. A dissonant chord may also come after a consonant sounding chord to make the listener feel more emotional than another consonant chord would make them. So while a dissonant cord sounds “bad” on its own, it becomes good when it is in the right place.
The same goes with harmony and melody. The melody can be the same, but the chord. Being played with it can produce the same satisfaction or tension depending on how the melody changes the chord.
As to why something is tuned properly depends on what the standard is. There are many different types of scales and instrument tunings. All one has to do is follow these tunings. If your individual notes do not stick to the tunings or scales, then it is almost sure that you’re out of tune.
Keep in mind that being in tune one way doesn’t mean you’ll be in tune another way. For example, Indian music will sound out of tune when compared to western pop music because Indian music can use notes that aren’t even present on the keys of the piano.
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