Re: Calculating harmonics of a vibrating guitar string

On Oct 23, 12:52 am, "RichL" <rpleav...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I put together a downloadable spreadsheet that calculates the amplitudes of
guitar-string harmonics:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzex6vrt/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfile...

What the first worksheet (called Triangle) does is assume an initial string
shape which is a triangle whose apex corresponds to the point along the
string at which the string is plucked, measured from the bridge.  Ignore the
other two worksheets for now.

You can enter different values into the boxes highlighted in green.

The first box is scale length, e.g., 24.75" for a Les Paul, 25.5" for a
Strat, etc.

The next box represents how far away from the bridge you pluck the string..
The value that's currently entered, 3.5", is roughly the mid-point between
the two pickups on a Les Paul.

Next you choose a string: this is a drop-down box, and you pick 1-6.  Next
to the drop down box, the spreadsheet will display the string name (e.g., G,
A) and the string's fundamental frequency.

Finally, you choose from another drop-down box where you fret the string: 0
represents an open string, 5 the fifth fret, etc.

On the right is a graph displaying the amplitudes (in dB) of the various
harmonics relative to the fundamental which is chosen as 0 dB, all the way
up to harmonic # 21.  Also, on the left is a list containing the fundamental
and harmonic frequencies, amplitudes, squared amplitudes, and amplitudes
(relative to the fundamental) in dB.  This last column is what is plotted.

Interesting stuff happens when the fretted length is an integer multiple of
the picking position.  In the example that's shown when you open the
spreadsheet, the scale length L0 is 24.5", the picking position x0 is 3.5",
the fretted position is 0 (meaning L = L0), so L/x0 = 7.  As you can see
from the plot, the 7th, 14th, and 21st harmonics disappear!

Now choose x0 = 6.125" and leave everything else the same.  Now L/x0 = 4,
and the 4th, 8th, 12th, etc. harmonics disappear.

Now go back to L0 = 3.5" and gradually change the fretted position (first
fret, second fret, etc.) and watch how the harmonics evolve.

The second worksheet, called Rectangle, solves a similar problem except with
different initial conditions.  Rather than specify the initial string shape,
it assumes that the portion of the string where the pick strikes acquires an
initial velocity, and that the rest of the string is initially motionless..
The inputs are similar to those on the Triangle worksheet, except that
there's an extra parameter called w which is the width of the pick at the
point where the pick hits the strings.  As you can see from the graph, the
distribution of harmonics is similar to the Triangle case except that they
don't decrease as much as the harmonic number increases.

Fool around with this if you like, and let me know what you think!  I've
password protected all the cells on the spreadsheet except the green
highlighted ones, so you can't accidentally change something important.

What I eventually want to do is extend this so that it includes the effects
of the pickups: they don't "see" the whole string, of course, but only the
portion immediately above and adjacent to the pickup.  Also, I want to
include multiple pickups, either in or out of phase.

If I get really ambitious, I'll add in the effect of the guitar circuitry
(including pickup impedance) and maybe even the amp's tone stack.

The whole idea of chords as we name them today came from the
"fundamental bass", which we now call the "root". In 1722, Rameau
proposed
that a fundamental bass be inferred from a set of known notes by
identifying
those notes with overtones.

Sometimes as few as two notes can serve as a complete chord. x0xxx7
stands in
for 5705657 or x07687 often enough. 3x3x5x can give almost the effect
of
353000 too. How successful this sort of omission may be depends on
style and
context, of course. Regards, daveA
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Physics of Music
    ... But you do say that you think in the harmonics that the partials ... This is true at least for the string. ... in sound as you go to the higher harmonics on a string instrument. ... get a 6/4 quality of sound from the tone as the 5th is the lowest ...
    (rec.music.theory)
  • Re: Five eggs and the twelfth harmonic.
    ... The discussion of harmonics with respect to instruments is quite ... Tuned string instruments use a 'just' or diatonic tuning--that uses perfect ... This is not percieved as out of tune becuase the three ...
    (rec.audio.tubes)
  • Re: Calculating harmonics of a vibrating guitar string
    ... What the first worksheet (called Triangle) does is assume an initial string ... harmonics relative to the fundamental which is chosen as 0 dB, ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)
  • Re: Calculating harmonics of a vibrating guitar string
    ... What the first worksheet (called Triangle) does is assume an initial string ... harmonics relative to the fundamental which is chosen as 0 dB, ...
    (alt.guitar.beginner)
  • Calculating harmonics of a vibrating guitar string
    ... What the first worksheet (called Triangle) does is assume an initial string shape which is a triangle whose apex corresponds to the point along the string at which the string is plucked, ... On the right is a graph displaying the amplitudes of the various harmonics relative to the fundamental which is chosen as 0 dB, all the way up to harmonic # 21. ...
    (alt.guitar)