2 ms·

As a fun fact too, the overtone series is also why you have different size pianos. The longer string gives you a different overtone, and if i recall right, the

by kop316 8y ago

As a fun fact too, the overtone series is also why you have different size pianos. The longer string gives you a different overtone, and if i recall right, the overtone is "more in tune" overtone series (if there are any piano folks in here and I got that wrong, please forgive me, I am a mere trombone player).

olau 8y ago
Deeper tones have a longer wavelength. If the resonator is too small compared to the wavelength, it can't transmit the sound efficiently. I guess it has something to do with the sound wave wrapping into itself and causing distortions or something like that. Deep tones sound better on a concert grand piano than on a small upright where they tend to be somewhat blurry. Compare with big subwoofers for low-frequency sound reproduction. Caveat emptor: I'm not really in the business, this is just off the top of my head. :) Here's some material on how pianos work: http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/contents.html http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/contents.html
TheOtherHobbes 8y ago
Inharmonicity is a trade off between the ratio of string length to fundamental and stiffness (which is related to thickness.) You could make a piano with really, really long bass strings, and the overtones would be more linear. There would also be a lot more fundamental, which is almost non-existent on the lowest octave or so of a grand piano. Native Instruments actually sells a sample pack called The Giant which is taken from an experimental long-string piano. I don't think it sounds all that good, because there's something just right about the colour of the "imperfect" bass strings on a fine grand. (That could just be acculturation, but I'm not completely convinced that's the case.) Contrariwise, uprights tend to sound boxy and constrained in the bass because the strings are shorter than on a full-sized grand, and the overtones are even louder and even less linear. You can't do much at the top end, because nicely linear strings - like the ones on a steel guitar - would have to be very thin and they'd be too fragile to survive piano hammers. The closest approximation would be a hammer dulcimer, which has a much sweeter and more open top end than the percussive plink of a piano, but doesn't go quite as high.

by kop316 8y ago

olau 8y ago

Deeper tones have a longer wavelength. If the resonator is too small compared to the wavelength, it can't transmit the sound efficiently. I guess it has something to do with the sound wave wrapping into itself and causing distortions or something like that. Deep tones sound better on a concert grand piano than on a small upright where they tend to be somewhat blurry. Compare with big subwoofers for low-frequency sound reproduction. Caveat emptor: I'm not really in the business, this is just off the top of my head. :) Here's some material on how pianos work: http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/contents.html http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/contents.html

TheOtherHobbes 8y ago

Inharmonicity is a trade off between the ratio of string length to fundamental and stiffness (which is related to thickness.) You could make a piano with really, really long bass strings, and the overtones would be more linear. There would also be a lot more fundamental, which is almost non-existent on the lowest octave or so of a grand piano. Native Instruments actually sells a sample pack called The Giant which is taken from an experimental long-string piano. I don't think it sounds all that good, because there's something just right about the colour of the "imperfect" bass strings on a fine grand. (That could just be acculturation, but I'm not completely convinced that's the case.) Contrariwise, uprights tend to sound boxy and constrained in the bass because the strings are shorter than on a full-sized grand, and the overtones are even louder and even less linear. You can't do much at the top end, because nicely linear strings - like the ones on a steel guitar - would have to be very thin and they'd be too fragile to survive piano hammers. The closest approximation would be a hammer dulcimer, which has a much sweeter and more open top end than the percussive plink of a piano, but doesn't go quite as high.