[CAUT] inharmonicity in piano wire

[Daniel Gurnee]

My experience with wire stretched in a metal lathe can at high tension  
has barely noticeable inharmonicity but as the tenison is decreased  
the partials spread in frequency until at no tension the partials have  
spread to the extent of sounding like a bell.  That had meant to me  
that high tension enabled the wire to act more as a pure string.

Daniel Gurnee


On Feb 5, 2009, at 8:33 AM, reggaepass at aol.com wrote:

> List,
>
> I just received a query from a science faculty member at the art  
> institute where I work.  He asks how can it be that partials of  
> piano wire are sharp of what they "should" be?  I told him that my  
> very pedestrian understanding is that this phenomenon is due to the  
> high tension of piano wire up to pitch, but that is just me  
> repeating what I have heard "somewhere."  Is this response even  
> close to being correct?  Any further clarification as to why this is  
> would be much appreciated all the way around.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alan Eder
> CalArts
>
> Carnations mean admiration, Tulips mean love - what do Roses mean?  
> Find out now!

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