Page 125 - The Master Handbook Of Acoustics

100 CHAPTER FIVE

there. Because the even harmonics have nodes in the center of the
string, they will be subdued if bowed there. The usual place for bow-
ing is near one end of the strings, which gives a better blend of even
and odd harmonics. There is a problem with the seventh harmonic
1
because it belongs to a different musical family. By bowing 7 of the
distance from one end, this harmonic is decreased.
The harmonic content of the E and G notes of a violin are displayed
graphically in Fig. 5-9. Harmonic multiples of the higher E tone are
spaced wider and hence have a “thinner” timbre. The lower frequency
tone, on the other hand, has a closely spaced spectral distribution and
a richer timbre. The small size of the violin relative to the low fre-
quency of the G string means that the resonating body cannot produce
a fundamental at as high a level as the higher harmonics. The har-
monic content and spectral shape depend on the shape and size of the
resonating violin body, the type and condition of the wood, and even
the varnish. Why there are so few superb violins among the many good
ones is a problem that has not yet been solved completely. 3

Tone: E
(659 Hz)
Relative amplitude, dB 100 (196 Hz) 300 500 1 kHz 3 kHz 5 kHz 10 kHz

Tone: G

100 300 500 1 kHz 3 kHz 5 kHz 10 kHz
Frequency - Hz
FIGURE 5-9
Harmonic content of open strings of the violin. The lower tones sound richer because of
the closely packed harmonics.