Obertöne

Obertöne, also known as harmonics or overtones, are musical tones of a pitch that is a higher integer multiple of the fundamental frequency of a sound. When a musical instrument produces a note, it doesn't just create the fundamental frequency. It also generates a series of fainter, higher-pitched tones at frequencies that are integer multiples of the fundamental. These are the overtones. For example, if the fundamental frequency is 100 Hz, the first overtone would be at 200 Hz, the second at 300 Hz, the third at 400 Hz, and so on.

The specific combination and relative intensity of these overtones are what give each instrument its unique timbre or sound quality. This is why a violin and a piano playing the same note at the same loudness sound distinctly different. The fundamental frequency determines the perceived pitch, while the overtones contribute to the characteristic color of the sound.

The presence and arrangement of overtones are fundamental to understanding acoustics, music theory, and psychoacoustics. The concept is also relevant in fields like digital signal processing and speech synthesis. The natural harmonic series is a mathematical sequence that describes the frequencies of these overtones, and it's a recurring pattern observed in many natural phenomena beyond just musical instruments.