Almost all musical instruments (such as pianos, organs, orchestral instruments and the human voice) have sounds that contain a range of frequencies f, 2f, 3f, 4f and so on where f is the lowest frequency in the sound. The pitch or note we asssign to the sound corresponds to the frequency f. Frequencies with this regular arrangement are called harmonic. […]
The first page in this series (What note do we hear when a bell rings?) explains briefly that the upper partials in bells have a significant influence on the note we hear and the general timbre of a bell. This article goes into more detail on the musical relationship between these partials. The first figure […]
It is now quite easy (using Wavanal or a general purpose spectrum analysis program) to ascertain the partial frequencies for church bells from recordings of them. Interpretation of these tuning figures is a different matter. Research recently completed as part of my PhD has shed new light on how the sound quality of bells is […]