Musical Usage Term
An overtone is a partial (a "partial wave" or "constituent frequency") that can be either a harmonic partial (a harmonic) other than the fundamental, or an inharmonic partial. A harmonic frequency is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency. An inharmonic frequency is a non-integer multiple of a fundamental frequency.
An example of harmonic overtones: (absolute harmony)
| Frequency | Order | Name 1 | Name 2 | Name 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · f = 440 Hz | n = 1 | fundamental tone | 1st harmonic | 1st partial |
| 2 · f = 880 Hz | n = 2 | 1st overtone | 2nd harmonic | 2nd partial |
| 3 · f = 1320 Hz | n = 3 | 2nd overtone | 3rd harmonic | 3rd partial |
| 4 · f = 1760 Hz | n = 4 | 3rd overtone | 4th harmonic | 4th partial |
Some musical instruments produce overtones that are slightly sharper or flatter than true harmonics. The sharpness or flatness of their overtones is one of the elements that contributes to their unique sound. This also has the effect of making their waveforms not perfectly periodic.
Musical instruments that can create notes of any desired duration and definite pitch have harmonic partials. A tuning fork, provided it is sounded with a mallet (or equivalent) that is reasonably soft, has a tone that consists very nearly of the fundamental, alone; it has a sinusoidal waveform. Nevertheless, music consisting of pure sinusoids was found to be unsatisfactory in the early 20th century.
Read more about this topic: Overtone
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