What is an overtone and how does it relate to resonance?

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Overtones refer to the vibrations of a body beyond its fundamental frequency, which is the lowest wavelength produced when a string is plucked. The fundamental frequency corresponds to a wavelength that is twice the length of the string, while overtones are multiples of this fundamental. These overtones can occur in various wave motions, including musical tones, where the geometry of the vibrating body determines the allowable frequencies. It is important to note that not all overtones are harmonics; an overtone can be any frequency above the fundamental at which a body resonates. Understanding overtones is essential for grasping the complexity of sound and vibration.
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please, am finding it difficult to understand what exactly is overtone.please i need your help guys....
 
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alexavier said:
please, am finding it difficult to understand what exactly is overtone.please i need your help guys....
A simple example will illustrate. Hold a string taught and pluck it. It can vibrate many ways, but the end points are fixed. The lowest wavelength (called fundamental) will be 1/2 the string length, others (called overtones) will be multiples of this.

The concept extends to any wave motion (such as musical tones), where the geometry fixes the allowable waves.
 
An overtone is any other vibration of a body other than its fundamental frequency. The fundamental wavelength of a stretched string is twice the length of the string. A harmonic is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency.
 
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An overtone is not just any other frequency other than its fundamental. It is any frequency above the fundamental at which a body resonates. It need not be a harmonic.
 

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