[CAUT] inharmonicity in piano wire

[Fred Sturm]

Probably the accurate answer is that bowing reduces but doesn't  
eliminate inharmonicity, both on pianos and viols. The effect is  
caused by the way the bow works: its friction grabs the string, then  
the tension of the string overcomes the friction and it slips. This  
happens continuously and "periodically" (meaning the events are fairly  
even in time span, between grab and slip), and the periodicity means  
that the vibration of the string is being produced continuously. That  
periodicity overcomes the tendency to inharmonicity, but probably not  
entirely. Vary the friction, speed, and pressure and you vary the  
pitch - hopelessly more complex than the simple piano <G>.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico
fssturm at unm.edu



On Feb 5, 2009, at 10:34 AM, Crane, Alan wrote:

> There used to be an "old wives tale" (?) that inharmonicity in piano  
> strings disappeared when they were bowed.
> Accompanying this was the assumption that there is no inharmonicity  
> in the bowed strings of the viols.
> I probably shouldn't mention it, not having taken the trouble to do  
> any research.
> Anyone have any direct experience with this alleged phenomenon?
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> Regards,
>
> Alan B. Crane, RPT
> School of Music
> Wichita State University
> alan.crane at wichita.edu
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