The Question

When does tension truly resolve in music?

At the chord? At the cadence? At silence?

Or only when the listener decides it has?

Why It Resists Closure

Resolution is psychological, not structural.

A theoretically “resolved” chord can still feel suspended. A dissonance can feel like arrival.

The score cannot dictate what the ear accepts.

DomainHarmony
TypeExpectation paradox
StatusExperiential

What do you think?