Overtone harmonics
As Obertonharmonik or Obertonmelodik refers to a kind of harmony in music.
In overtone harmony, the scales are not based on mathematically determined scales such as whole or semitones, but on the overtones of a fundamental. Melodies and chords adhere to a relatively rigid scheme.
Overtone scheme
Overtones are tones that sound when playing a fundamental. They correspond to a multiple of the frequency of the fundamental. The most important overtones of a fundamental are as follows:
| Comparison with keynote | Interval to the previous tone |
Frequency ratio to the previous tone |
example | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keynote | C. | 66 | ||
| double frequency | octave | 2: 1 | c | 132 |
| triple frequency | Quint | 3: 2 | G | 198 |
| quadruple frequency | quart | 4: 3 | c ' | 264 |
| five times the frequency | Major third | 5: 4 | e ' | 330 |
| six times the frequency | Minor third | 6: 5 | G' | 396 |
| seven times the frequency | b ' | 462 (see below: Naturseptime ) | ||
| eight times the frequency | c '' | 528 | ||
| nine times the frequency | large whole tone | 9: 8 | d '' | 594 |
| ten times the frequency | small whole tone | 10: 9 | e '' | 660 |
The seventh between the 4th and the 7th overtone (in the example: c'b ' ) is called a natural seventh , as it is slightly smaller than the so-called pure minor seventh.
The overtone harmonics mostly only use the lower overtones listed here. Sometimes the overtone harmonic is also combined with the pentatonic , as in Andean music.
distribution
The overtone harmonics are particularly common in traditional musical styles in Asia and South America . It has a special meaning in the traditional music of the Andean countries ( Andean music ), which only adopted the diatonic system after the arrival of the Spaniards in the 15th century .
See also
Partial tone series , tuning (music) , cent (music) , chromatic scale , pure tuning , temperature (music) , tempered tuning , well -tempered tuning , equal tuning , Shepard scale