Tuning to harmonics

Hi Folks

Another basic question.

When someone talks of a tuning using, say, harmonics 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
do they mean 14/8, 15/8 16/8, 17/16 and 18/16, octave reduced and in
ascending
order ?

Best Wishes

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>
To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 1:38 PM
Subject: [tuning] Tuning to harmonics

> Hi Folks
>
> Another basic question.
>
> When someone talks of a tuning using, say, harmonics 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
> do they mean 14/8, 15/8 16/8, 17/16 and 18/16, octave reduced and in
> ascending
> order ?

Yep. 14/8 = 7/4. 15/8 = 3/2 + 5/4. 16/8 = 1/1. 18/16 = 9/8 (aka 3/2 + 3/2)

I don't know how one would tune to the 17th harmonic on
a stringed instument, it's so quiet. Can a bowed string
instrument play the 17th harmonic? One could always use
an electronic tuner.

* David Beardsley
* http://biink.com
* http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

David Beardsley wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 1:38 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Tuning to harmonics
>
> > Hi Folks
> >
> > Another basic question.
> >
> > When someone talks of a tuning using, say, harmonics 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,
> > do they mean 14/8, 15/8 16/8, 17/16 and 18/16, octave reduced and in
> > ascending
> > order ?
>
> Yep. 14/8 = 7/4. 15/8 = 3/2 + 5/4. 16/8 = 1/1. 18/16 = 9/8 (aka 3/2 + 3/2)
>
> I don't know how one would tune to the 17th harmonic on
> a stringed instument, it's so quiet. Can a bowed string
> instrument play the 17th harmonic? One could always use
> an electronic tuner.
>
> * David Beardsley
> * http://biink.com
> * http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

I've got the Peterson Virtual Strobe tuner. Along with a good EQ and a bit of fiddling with
settings I can tune anything with a pitch in it.

Best Wishes

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>

> David Beardsley wrote:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>
> > To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 1:38 PM
> > Subject: [tuning] Tuning to harmonics
> >
> > > Hi Folks
> > >
> > > Another basic question.
> > >
> > > When someone talks of a tuning using, say, harmonics 14, 15, 16, 17,
18,
> > > do they mean 14/8, 15/8 16/8, 17/16 and 18/16, octave reduced and in
> > > ascending
> > > order ?
> >
> > Yep. 14/8 = 7/4. 15/8 = 3/2 + 5/4. 16/8 = 1/1. 18/16 = 9/8 (aka 3/2 +
3/2)
> >
> > I don't know how one would tune to the 17th harmonic on
> > a stringed instument, it's so quiet. Can a bowed string
> > instrument play the 17th harmonic? One could always use
> > an electronic tuner.
>
> I've got the Peterson Virtual Strobe tuner. Along with a good EQ and a bit
of fiddling with
> settings I can tune anything with a pitch in it.

Ah...that's tuning to an electronic tuner, not a harmonic!

It may sound like I'm being a smartass. But after I answered your
question, I was speculating on tuining to a harmonic on a string.
My guess is that one could play the 17th harmonic on an upright
bass. I know I'd probably need a bit of gain to get it out of an electric
guitar.

* David Beardsley
* http://biink.com
* http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

--- In tuning@y..., David Beardsley <davidbeardsley@b...> wrote:

> My guess is that one could play the 17th harmonic on an upright
> bass. I know I'd probably need a bit of gain to get it out of an
electric
> guitar.

an electric bass, on the other hand, can be coaxed into ringing out
the 17th harmonic of a string quite easily -- sometimes even
unintentionally, in my experience.

----- Original Message -----
From: "paulerlich" <paul@stretch-music.com>

> --- In tuning@y..., David Beardsley <davidbeardsley@b...> wrote:
>
> > My guess is that one could play the 17th harmonic on an upright
> > bass. I know I'd probably need a bit of gain to get it out of an
> electric
> > guitar.
>
> an electric bass, on the other hand, can be coaxed into ringing out
> the 17th harmonic of a string quite easily -- sometimes even
> unintentionally, in my experience.

I'll check it out.

dB

> From: David Beardsley <davidbeardsley@biink.com>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 11:34 AM
> Subject: Re: [tuning] Tuning to harmonics
>
>
> I don't know how one would tune to the 17th harmonic on
> a stringed instument, it's so quiet. Can a bowed string
> instrument play the 17th harmonic? One could always use
> an electronic tuner.

just thought i'd mention that, amazing as it might seem,
i've heard Jonathan Glasier hit up to the 17th harmonic
while doing harmonic singing (AKA Tuvan throat-singing).
if you can train yourself to do it, that's a foolproof
method of finding any harmonic under the limit you can reach.

-monz

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David Beardsley wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>
>
> > David Beardsley wrote:
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Alison Monteith" <alison.monteith3@which.net>
> > > To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 1:38 PM
> > > Subject: [tuning] Tuning to harmonics
> > >
> > > > Hi Folks
> > > >
> > > > Another basic question.
> > > >
> > > > When someone talks of a tuning using, say, harmonics 14, 15, 16, 17,
> 18,
> > > > do they mean 14/8, 15/8 16/8, 17/16 and 18/16, octave reduced and in
> > > > ascending
> > > > order ?
> > >
> > > Yep. 14/8 = 7/4. 15/8 = 3/2 + 5/4. 16/8 = 1/1. 18/16 = 9/8 (aka 3/2 +
> 3/2)
> > >
> > > I don't know how one would tune to the 17th harmonic on
> > > a stringed instument, it's so quiet. Can a bowed string
> > > instrument play the 17th harmonic? One could always use
> > > an electronic tuner.
> >
> > I've got the Peterson Virtual Strobe tuner. Along with a good EQ and a bit
> of fiddling with
> > settings I can tune anything with a pitch in it.
>
> Ah...that's tuning to an electronic tuner, not a harmonic!
>
> It may sound like I'm being a smartass. But after I answered your
> question, I was speculating on tuining to a harmonic on a string.
> My guess is that one could play the 17th harmonic on an upright
> bass. I know I'd probably need a bit of gain to get it out of an electric
> guitar.
>
> * David Beardsley
> * http://biink.com
> * http://mp3.com/davidbeardsley

Yes, I see what you mean. I should have made it clearer that I was talking about constructing a
tuning consisting of the series of a given set of partials. I agree that locating the 17th
harmonic would be very tricky. A good set of filters and plenty gain with a long string length
like you suggest might do the trick though.

Best Wishes.

--- In tuning@y..., "monz" <joemonz@y...> wrote:

> just thought i'd mention that, amazing as it might seem,
> i've heard Jonathan Glasier hit up to the 17th harmonic
> while doing harmonic singing (AKA Tuvan throat-singing).
> if you can train yourself to do it, that's a foolproof
> method of finding any harmonic under the limit you can reach.

as amazing as it might seem, that doesn't amaze me at all, as
the style of tuvan throat singing that involves both "throat" and
"overtone" effects involves hitting harmonics as high as the 41st,
as i've mentioned before.

> From: paulerlich <paul@stretch-music.com>
> To: <tuning@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 12:53 PM
> Subject: [tuning] Re: Tuning to harmonics
>
>
> --- In tuning@y..., "monz" <joemonz@y...> wrote:
>
> > just thought i'd mention that, amazing as it might seem,
> > i've heard Jonathan Glasier hit up to the 17th harmonic
> > while doing harmonic singing (AKA Tuvan throat-singing).
> > if you can train yourself to do it, that's a foolproof
> > method of finding any harmonic under the limit you can reach.
>
> as amazing as it might seem, that doesn't amaze me at all, as
> the style of tuvan throat singing that involves both "throat" and
> "overtone" effects involves hitting harmonics as high as the 41st,
> as i've mentioned before.

wow! i must have missed that one!!

FWIW, i still think hitting the 17th by harmonic singing
is pretty impressive -- i'm lucky if i can bring out the
11th clearly, and have never gotten the 13th.

-monz

_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

--- In tuning@y..., "monz" <joemonz@y...> wrote:
>
> > From: paulerlich <paul@s...>
> > To: <tuning@y...>
> > Sent: Sunday, March 10, 2002 12:53 PM
> > Subject: [tuning] Re: Tuning to harmonics
> >
> >
> > --- In tuning@y..., "monz" <joemonz@y...> wrote:
> >
> > > just thought i'd mention that, amazing as it might seem,
> > > i've heard Jonathan Glasier hit up to the 17th harmonic
> > > while doing harmonic singing (AKA Tuvan throat-singing).
> > > if you can train yourself to do it, that's a foolproof
> > > method of finding any harmonic under the limit you can
reach.
> >
> > as amazing as it might seem, that doesn't amaze me at all,
as
> > the style of tuvan throat singing that involves both "throat" and
> > "overtone" effects involves hitting harmonics as high as the
41st,
> > as i've mentioned before.
>
>
> wow! i must have missed that one!!
>
> FWIW, i still think hitting the 17th by harmonic singing
> is pretty impressive -- i'm lucky if i can bring out the
> 11th clearly, and have never gotten the 13th.

you're doing better than i am. btw, if you saw the movie 'genghis
blues', you might notice that paul pena, who won the tuvan throat
singing competition, had very little ability to separately articulate
different harmonics. i think they were just excited to have an
american around.