The new instrument made a discordant sound only when two particular notes met. (discordant: clashing, incompatible, dissonant) The maker called the effect dissonance. (dissonance: discord, disharmony, discordance) The contralto called it discord. (discord: disharmony, dissonance, clashing) Both were right about what they heard. They disagreed about which dissonant interval was intentional. (dissonant: discordant, disharmonious, incongruous) A perfectly consonant ending would spoil the little elegy they had chosen for the test. (consonant: harmonious, harmonically stable)
The singer tried a euphonious phrase from another song. (euphonious: melodious, mellifluous, sweet-sounding) The buzz returned. She broke the phrase into discrete notes. (discrete: separate, distinct, individual) It vanished. Played in tandem the two notes set a loose button vibrating on the maker's coat. (tandem: in this context a pair, a duo) Its metallic overtone gave the violin a voice as harsh as a fricative consonant prolonged in an empty church. (overtone: upper partial, upper tone; fricative: alternate name spirant, frictional)
They tried the elegy again with the coat over a chair. The beautiful, difficult interval held. The maker made a note in the repair book. Where he usually listed a defective part and its cure, he wrote, "One coat button. Remove violinist from coat."