Inharmonicity in other instruments

[Ron Nossaman]

And isn't part of that 'resonant structure' the mounting system? In a piano,
one end of the speaking length is moving, courtesy of the elasticity of the
soundboard.Seems to me that has to affect the harmonic output. What happens
to the harmonic production of a struck or plucked string when the ends are
rigidly clamped? 

Ron


>>I'm having difficulty understanding what you mean by "any frequency can
>>be excited in a resonant system." Don't the resonances of a string limit
>>the vibrational possibilities? I've always believed that stiffness was a
>>major contributing factor in inharmonicity; that, along with striking
>>the strings with hammers as opposed to plucking or bowing. What is it
>>exactly that produces the harmonics? Don't the hammers simply excite the
>>harmonics that result from the strings own "resonant structure?"
>
>That's a very good description of inharmonicity and resonances.
>What I meant by "any frequency can be excited in a resonant system"
>was that the impulse from the hammer itself contains energy at all
>frequencies at the moment of impact.  But then, as you pointed out,
>only the frequencies of the string's own resonances are actually
>absorbed.
>
>To understand what actually produces harmonics, it is helpful
>to know a little bit of Fourier theory. 
-snip-
>
>Robert Scott
>Detroit-Windsor Chapter PTG
>


 Ron