thanks for posting all this info- is very interesting. I've done this with jazz chords on the guitar, and not really understood how it worked. On a lot of those chords, you play a 3rd, 5th, and a couple upper extensions, like a maj7, 9th, and the ear will hear the root and put it all together. I always thought it was somehow tricking the brain, because the brain likes to seek out a tonal center in a bunch of notes. I've been playing violin for a few years and am constantly amazed at how complex and amazing it is acoustically.