Harpsichord inharmonicity

[Dennis Johnson]

Barb,

Please share any enlightening directions that you have in mind. This=20
topic came up more than once on the harpsichord list as well, but didn=D5t =
go=20
very far. I would suggest that you have hit on exactly the point which is=
=20
most confusing. There are so many different variables which seem to=20
produce conflicting effects regarding inharmonicity. How do we isolate thes=
e=20
variables to understand better their relationships?  It is a fact that=20
the degree and control of string displacement also effects=20
inharmonicity, independent of other string specs. It is also true that=20
harpsichord wire is displaced greater than piano wire in normal playing.=20
Therefore, I can only guess that harpsichord wire is naturally less=20
inharmonic somewhow despite its less tension, and that most peoples=20
strong preferrence for pure intervals on that instrument has more  to do=20
with specific partial prominence and distribution than with actual=20
inharmonicity.

Hope that makes sense.


Dennis  Johnson=20
St. Olaf College
______________________________________________________________________
On Wed, 11 Dec 1996, Barb Barasa wrote:

> I have heard two different physicists give two completely different=20
> explanations for inharmonicity.  One was the one you are refering to:=20
> that it is a function of the stiffness,length and diameter of the=20
> string.  The other, which I heard in a talk at Fermilab by a=20
> physicist who also makes violins, is that a struck/plucked string will=20
> display inharmonicity whereas the same string when bowed will not.
>=20
> I have no clue, altho I am a tuner and a violinist.
>=20
> I can point you in the right direction if you want to pursue research=20
> in this area.
>=20
> Barb Barasa
> Ashland, OR
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> >     Why wouldn't harpsicords need some stretch tuning?  Admittedly the
> > thinner strings have less resistance to bending, which is the source
> > of inharmonicity, but it shouldn't be zero, should it?
> >=20
> >     -Bob Scott
>=20
> "When nothing is sure,
>      everything is possible."
>=20