Variable Description Metric Units

m mode -- Instruments have

very separate, distinct
n node --
sounds, called
L Length of string m "timbres" in music
lingo. When you
D Distance from the site of the m listen to the radio or
plucking to the bridge go to the symphony,
it is usually easy to
T Tension N (kg m s-2) pick out the various
instruments, since an
M Mass per unit string length kg m-1
oboe (hopefully)
F frequency Hz (s -1) sounds nothing like a
tuba. These different
timbres are caused by
harmonics. Each
instrument has a
specific pattern of
harmonics, which
create the unique sound. In this section, I will try to explain how a violins harmonics are
created.

Have you ever seen the high school physics demonstration where the teacher gets someone to
hold one end of a rope and then frantically waves the other end up and down? In the middle of
the rope, if the demonstration goes well, you can see a "node," which is a point on the string
which doesnt move. Sometimes, by waving even more frantically (i.e. higher frequency), the
teacher can create three or four nodes.

You may very well be wondering, "well, what does all this have to do with the violin?" Well, a
violin string works on the same sort of principle. Because it is vibrating so fast (the frequency
is high), many nodes can be created (See Figure 2 above).

When a string is plucked in the middle, all of the even modes will be still (See Figure), while
all of the odd modes will oscillate furiously. However, this isnt what usually happens when
one plays the violin: usually, the string is played close to one end. In this case, some modes
will be more excited than others. We can find which modes are completely still, by using an
equation with a pretty interesting relationship:

Non-Excited Modes = m (L / D) ( Equation 1)

This relationship is important because of how modes are related to sound; the equation tells us
which modes dont vibrate (and therefore, which do). The excited modes give off distinct
frequencies, and the combination of which frequencies are present and to what extent they are
present (their amplitude) gives the distinct timbre of the violin. The equation for the frequency
is given by:

fn = (n / 2L) (T / M)1/2 (Equation 2)