Inharmonicity (bowed strings)

[Ron Nossaman]

>So, the drop in pitch as the bow is taken off results from no longer
>pulling the string to the side, and no longer pressing it downwards.

Could the higher pitch during bowing be a partial (sorry) result of the bow
acting as a sort of soft termination of the speaking length as well? I
understand that the partial (the real one) structure of the note changes as
you bow closer to, or farther away from the bridge. Does the pitch change
too under the same circumstances?



>There is also a big change in pitch from playing very loudly vs. softer.
>The tension of the string is so low that the excursion (right word?) in the
>middle of the loop is quite wide, which by raising the tension also raises
>the pitch. No doubt this happens in pianos, too, but the higher tension and
>stiffness keeps us from hearing it.


>
>(Dr. C. --- why is this?)

>Susan


I don't know if it's the higher stiffness and tension that masks it, but
there is an enormous amount of aural chaos in that piano unison in the
initial attack. I can hear all sorts of horrible things happening, but they
all happen at once, and coalesce much too quickly for me to sort them out.


 Ron