A consistent deficiency in past modelling of musical cognition has been the failure to take account of the flexibility and adaptability of musicians' behaviour. This flexibility, mose evident when dealing with music of a ‘transitional’ nature, as illustrated in discussion of a piece by Skryabin, suggests that, while existing music-theoretic concepts continue to provide a basis, models must break down the monoliths of music theory into a pluralistic interaction. Similar concerns have exercised researchers in other cognitive domains, leading to proposals for novel modelling frameworks. The potential of one of these ‘constraint systems’, is explored through a preliminary model of the recognition of harmonies and the interpretation of dissonant notes.