lowest common overtone as subharmonic root?

hello Group. I notice that for simple chords such as 4-5-6, 3-4-5, 5-
6-8, and 4-5-7, that it's the utonal chord version which has a
relatively low lowest common overtone, and not the otonal version.
(Hmm, but it's the otonal chords which are supposed to be less
discordant?) In any case, I was wondering if this lowest common
overtone, for example, in the minor triad, (where the 6th harmonic of
the root, the 5th harmonic of the mediant, and the 4th harmonic of the
5th, are the same note), if this lowest common overtone is a sort
of 'upper fundamental' of a subharmonic series. (the wonderful topsy
turvey world of minor chords!)

thanks, Kelly

--- In harmonic_entropy@yahoogroups.com, "traktus5" <kj4321@h...> wrote:

> hello Group. I notice that for simple chords such as 4-5-6, 3-4-5, 5-
> 6-8, and 4-5-7, that it's the utonal chord version which has a
> relatively low lowest common overtone, and not the otonal version.

Exactly.

> (Hmm, but it's the otonal chords which are supposed to be less
> discordant?)

The low common overtone doesn't mean there's less clash of overtones
overall (try working that out for yourself), and it certainly doesn't
bear upon the other components of discordance, such as virtual pitch
and combinational tones, where otonalities have an advantage.

>In any case, I was wondering if this lowest common
> overtone, for example, in the minor triad, (where the 6th harmonic of
> the root, the 5th harmonic of the mediant, and the 4th harmonic of
the
> 5th, are the same note), if this lowest common overtone is a sort
> of 'upper fundamental' of a subharmonic series.

Sure, you could call it that, and many theorists have taken this
approach.

> (the wonderful topsy
> turvey world of minor chords!)
>
> thanks, Kelly