overtone

Faster waves produce higher pitches, while slower waves produce lower pitches. The overtone series is a natural phenomenon in which a single pitch produces multiple additional harmonic pitches through mathematical divisions. The set of resulting pitches form the basis for everything we do as jazz musicians.

In the most general sense, overtones constitute any resonant frequency above the fundamental that sounds in tandem with the fundamental. So when you play A2, you aren't just hearing 110 Hz by itself. You're hearing both harmonic and inharmonic multiples of 110 Hz that give the instrument it's unique sound.

The overtones of a sound can have a significant effect on its quality because they determine its timbre. In such a case, it will be straightforward to determine the quality of a sound based on the instruments producing it.

The overtone series is a series of intervals, or a harmonic series, above a given pitch. We call the lowest pitch the fundamental, and every tone above it is considered an overtone. In the example below, C2 is the fundamental, C3 is the first overtone, G3 is the second overtone, and so on.

overtone, in acoustics, tone sounding above the fundamental tone when a string or air column vibrates as a whole, producing the fundamental, or first harmonic. If it vibrates in sections, it produces overtones, or harmonics.

The first and strongest overtone is an octave. Therefore, if an instrument plays a pitch, the ear will primarily hear that pitch an octave higher, followed by a fifth above that, and so on. In musical composition, the intervals of the overtone series are often used as a model.

The definition of overtone is when multiple tones are produced from one vibration source at different frequencies. Another term for overtone is a harmonic. In instrumental and choral music, overtones are an important acoustic part of creating harmonies and producing a fuller, richer sound.

An overtone is any frequency greater than the fundamental frequency of a sound. Using the model of Fourier analysis, the fundamental and the overtones together are called partials.

The way in which the pupils view their peers has powerful overtones. As already indicated, there can be several types of passive, or of antipassive, in a given language, with distinct semantic overtones. Villagers reported only one such incident; but this appears to have political overtones.

Some electronic instruments, such as synthesizers, can play a pure frequency with no overtones (a sine wave). Synthesizers can also combine pure frequencies into more complex tones, such as to simulate other instruments. Certain flutes and ocarinas are very nearly without overtones.

The higher allowed harmonics above the first harmonic or fundamental are called overtones. The first overtone is the higher allowed harmonic immediately above the first harmonic.

A pure sine wave is the only instrument that plays a tone without any overtones. This isn't a strange coincidence. An instrument's timbre is the consequence of its unique overtones - which ones it has, which ones are loudest, whether some overtones are slightly flat or sharp, and how the overtones mutate over time.