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

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SUMMARY

An overtone is defined as any frequency above the fundamental frequency at which a body resonates, distinguishing it from harmonics, which are integral multiples of the fundamental frequency. In the context of a vibrating string, the fundamental wavelength is twice the length of the string, while overtones correspond to higher frequencies that can occur due to the string's fixed endpoints. Understanding overtones is crucial for grasping wave motion in various contexts, including musical tones.

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  • Knowledge of harmonic series
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  • Research the mathematical representation of wave functions
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alexavier
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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.
 
Last edited:
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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