In article , Jim Lux
wrote:

Jon Teske wrote:

If you touch one note above that (B natural on the E string) the
result is a not an octave and a fifth (or high B) above the
fundamental frequency, because lightly stopping the B and causing
it to vibrate on both side of the stop divides the string into thirds.


Jon Teske, W3JT and concert violinist.

And this is why pianos are arranged to strike the string at a point
which suppresses a harmonic which is dissonant. (I think it's the 7th
harmonic which is suppressed)


Hello, and acoustic dissonance is defined by the production of
"unacceptable" beats between the partials (overtones (harmonics)) that
can, but are not generally, exact multiples of the fundamental) generated
by two or more fundamentals. Dissonance can also be defined when two
fundamentals are in close proximity as to produce a kind of "roughness".
Dissonance has no relevance for one fundamental (and its partials). It is
the partials that give a pitch on a particular instrument its quality or
timbre.

There is also a "contextual" dissonance associated with particular
intervals/ chord structures in Western classical music that, due to
accepted practice in a particular era, in many cases bears no relation to
the acoustic dissonance (sounding the chord in isolation (out of
context)). If you want more enlightenment in this area pop on over to
rec.music.theory or rec.music.makers.piano. Sincerely, and 73s from
N4GGO,

John Wood (Code 5550) e-mail:
Naval Research Laboratory
4555 Overlook Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20375-5337