harmonics vs. partials

[Delwin D Fandrich]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ron Newman" <ronman@imt.net>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: July 23, 2001 10:00 AM
Subject: harmonics vs. partials


> Hello all,
> I dimly remember from school something about the term "partial" not being
> synomonous with the term "harmonic", i.e. the fundamental is harmonic 1,
> but partial 0, harmonic 2 is partial 1, etc.
>
> Am I making this up?  Is the difference in meaning consistently adhered to
> in the documentation for electronic tuning devices?
>
--------------------------------------------------------

Not quite.

The fundamental is partial 1 and harmonic 0.

A harmonic is:
1. A multiple of some fundamental frequency, that is, a single oscillation
having a frequency that is an integral multiple of a fundamental frequency,
for example 55 Hz and 110 Hz are both harmonics of the fundamental 27.5 Hz.
2. An overtone produced by a musical instrument. For example, by lightly
touching a vibrating string at a point where the string to either side of
that point will continue to vibrate. If you lightly touch the above string
exactly in the center you will dampen the 27.5 Hz fundamental--the first
partial--but leave the first harmonic (55 Hz) sounding because you have
divided it into two partials.

-- ddf