The most mind-blowing concept in music (Harmonic Series)
TLDRThe script explains the concept of the harmonic series - how musical notes contain a fundamental tone plus higher, quieter harmonic overtones at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. It illustrates how overtones give each instrument its unique timbre. Remarkably, these naturally occurring overtones align with the intervals and chords we use in music. However, to enable consistent tuning across keys, equal temperament was devised, compromising 'pure' harmonics for consistency. The video aims to explain why and how the physics of sound underlies the music we create and enjoy.
Takeaways
- 😲 Musical notes contain a fundamental tone and additional quieter harmonic overtones at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency
- 👂 The mixture of harmonics gives each instrument its unique sound character
- 🔬 Harmonics are pure sine waves without their own overtones
- 🎹 Any pitched sound can be recreated by combining sine waves at the correct amplitudes
- 😀 The first few harmonics make up a major chord
- 🌟 The harmonic overtone series corresponds directly to the intervals used in music
- 🤯 Consonant intervals have the simplest frequency ratios
- 🔉 Overlapping harmonics reinforce consonant intervals
- 😕 Equal temperament tuning compromises the perfect harmonic ratios for consistency
- 🎓 Understanding harmonics explains the origin and workings of music theory
Q & A
What are harmonics?
-Harmonics, also called overtones, are additional quieter notes that occur naturally whenever a musical note is played. They are integer multiples of the fundamental frequency.
Why do two instruments playing the same note sound different?
-They sound different because even though they are playing the same fundamental note, the mixture of harmonics is unique for each instrument based on its design, shape and size.
What is a sine wave?
-A sine wave is the purest tone possible with no harmonics. It is a single perfect wave visualized. Overtones themselves are sine waves with no additional harmonics.
How can you recreate a musical note using sine waves?
-Any consistent pitch played on any instrument can be recreated by combining sine waves at the correct harmonic frequencies and volumes that match the original sound.
Why do certain musical intervals sound good together?
-Intervals like octaves, fifths and fourths sound good together because the frequency ratios between them are simple whole number ratios that are easy for our ears and brains to process.
What is equal temperament?
-Equal temperament is a tuning system that divides the octave into 12 equally spaced notes so that the sizes of intervals are consistent in every key. This avoids issues with perfect harmonic ratios sounding out of tune.
Why do choirs sometimes end up out of tune?
-Highly trained choirs with great intonation may still drift slightly out of tune over time as they naturally adjust certain notes closer to just intonation rather than equal temperament.
Why is tuning the B string on a guitar so difficult?
-The B string is difficult to tune because the interval between it and the G string is a major third, which has a more complex relationship between harmonics that doesn't perfectly align with equal temperament.
How do harmonics relate to musical scales and chords?
-The first several harmonics closely correspond to the notes used in scales and chords in most Western music. Our ears find simple frequency ratios pleasing, which is why these note relationships work well together.
Why don't more musical education programs teach about harmonics?
-Harmonics are often glossed over because the topic brings up complex issues like differences between tuning systems that may overwhelm beginner music students.
Outlines
😲 Understanding the Mind-Blowing Harmonic Series
The harmonic series describes how musical notes contain additional higher frequencies called harmonics or overtones. The mixture of harmonics gives each instrument its unique sound. Harmonics occur in simple integer ratios, which is why certain notes and chords tend to sound pleasing together.
😎 Using Additive Synthesis to Recreate Instrument Sounds
Since harmonics are sine waves without their own overtones, any instrument sound can be recreated by adding sine waves together (additive synthesis). Operator synth demonstrates how mixing different harmonics leads to different timbres.
🤯 The Harmonic Series Defines Consonant Intervals in Music Theory
The naturally occurring harmonic series corresponds with consonant intervals used in music theory, like octaves, fifths and thirds. However, to allow consistent tuning across keys, equal temperament was developed, compromising perfect harmony.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Harmonic series
💡Fundamental
💡Harmonics/Overtones
💡Resonance
💡Consonance
💡Timbre
💡Additive Synthesis
💡Sine Wave
💡Equal Temperament
💡Just Intonation
Highlights
Every note is actually a whole bunch of tiny notes put together with one exception we'll also take a look at.
These additional waves are the harmonics and depending on your instrument on its design on its shape and size also on the way that you play it the volume of these different harmonics can be quite different.
By plugging it in different places the additional modes of vibration the harmonics may be strengthened or weakened.
It's just the mixture of harmonics that give each instrument its own unique character.
A tone that has no harmonics is a sine wave therefore all harmonics are sine waves.
Any consistent pitch played on any instrument can be recreated just with the right combination of sine waves.
Using different combinations of harmonics is one way that through synthesis we can approximate real-world instruments.
The second mind-blowing thing about the harmonic series is that it's the foundation of all the chords and scales that we use.
The reason why these intervals sound good together is because our ears are doing math.
Notes sound consonant they sound nicely harmonized to us when the math is the easiest.
When two notes related by this series are played together they will share a lot of overlapping overtones.
Harmonics occur naturally and they sound like that example we've been playing throughout this video.
What we found is that if we transposed the most audible harmonics, the first 30 or so overtones into one octave they would correspond pretty closely to twelve equally spaced divisions of that octave.
It's a tuning system of compromise so that every possible interval or chord change in any key sounds equally in tune or depending on how you want to look at it equally out of tune.
I hope now you know if you didn't already why music is the way that it is.
Transcripts
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