Visualizing Harmonics

[GAD]

 

[jp]

It looks like me trying to get my garden hose loose from an obstacle when I'm watering the garden.

No, seriously -- when picturing the cord as a guitar string, it's actually an accurate visualization about where the harmonics are on a guitar fretboard. Pretty cool!

Thanks for posting!

 

[GGJaguar]

I was waiting for someone to start jumping rope.

 

[JohnW63]

My wrist is sore just looking at it and figuring it took multiple takes on some of them to get a nice sample.

 

[zulu]

That guy must practice a lot

 

[LeFinPepere]

That's a whipping post, indeed!

 

[walrus]

Looks like he's in a high school Science classroom!

walrus

 

[matsickma]

To get the true sound of the instrument ( guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.) Combine all those harmonics which will have different sound levels due to the instrument wood, metal, finish, scale, size, shape and how you pluck the string and the combined response is what you hear as the instruments "acoustic" sound. How pickups, effects, amplifier preamp and output stage amplifer add their unique influence on the various harmonics is the difference in sound from a classical acoustic tone to heavy metal.

For those with an electronics background the signal you see on an oscilloscope is the time signature of the sound waveform. To appreciate the tonal signature you need a spectrum analyzer to identify visually the various frequency components (harmonics) and their relative sound level.

For those with a math background connecting the time waveform to the frequency spectrum is the Fourier Transform. That math function had a lot of uses in engineering and science but the obvious application is how it relates sound time signature to frequency spectrum.

You don't need to know much math to appreciate the significance of the Fourier Transform. The digital versions referred to as the "Fast Fourier Transform" is what is resident on many digital mixers, audio playback software on computers, etc where you can watch a display of the time and/or frequency sprectum while enjoying music while doing your taxes and occasionally looking at pretty waveforms associated with the audio app!

Certainly the connection of these things to music was one of biggest reasons I became an engineer. The digital coding, processors and software we all have at our finger tips today is unimaginable from a person growing up in the 60's.

Thank goodness for the USSR's Sputnik! It got the USA focused on the space race and the scientists of that time knew solid state technology and the associated massive weight reduction and functionality as compared to vacuum tubes was a fundamental building block to any serious space program. That national investment made everything possible that we take for granted today.
Our government leaders of today need to appreciate the vision of those leaders 50 + years ago and overcome political diffences to make decisions that have a similar positive effect on the generation 50 years from now. Not only did that investment make USA the leader it improved the technology of the world!
M

 

[GAD]

For those with an electronics background the signal you see on an oscilloscope is the time signature of the sound waveform. To appreciate the tonal signature you need a spectrum analyzer to identify visually the various frequency components (harmonics) and their relative sound level.

For those with a math background connecting the time waveform to the frequency spectrum is the Fourier Transform. That math function had a lot of uses in engineering and science but the obvious application is how it relates sound time signature to frequency spectrum.

Just a quick add that most modern oscilloscopes will do a Fourier Transform so they can act as a poor-man's spectrum analyzer which is cool because good spectrum analyzers cost big money. The Oscopes do it, but they do it slowly where as the good SAs can do it in real-time.

 

[matsickma]

Another subtle observation with the demo...you can see the "nodes" where the string doesn't appear to be moving. On a guitar those nodes are very dominant at the E, A and B locations on a guitar. By placing your finger over the fret wire on the 2nd octave (i.e, 12th fret) you can emphasize just those harmonics to get that "bell harmonic tone" like in the opening guitar riff in YES's song "Roundabout" or the ending riff note Harrison play's on the Beatles "Nowhere man" or the various shreeder tricks during or ending a riff. The 5th and 7th fret along with 17th and 19th also work pretty easily. Move up a little higher where no frets are present and you can still get them. Because they are nodes you just touch the string in those locations and not press it against the fret. Your finger causes the filtering effect.

We don't often get to see the visuals of the vibrations that create the music we play or like.
M

 

[Nuuska]

And then there is one more thing - while all that is said or written above is true - let's not forget, that all those frequencies have their "nice spot" at the speking length of the string - which means that for each note they are in different location - therefore placement of electric guitar pup can not be perfect for all possible frettings of fingerboard. Some notes just sound "better" than others. At least different.

 

[matsickma]

Yes! If your note has harmonic nodes above the pickup it won't get picked up by the pickup because it isn't vibrating at the node. No movement of the metal string by the magnet or bobbin wire no induction of that note or harmonic will occur. No induction then no signal to get amplified.
It really is incredible complicated. Over the years trial and error or just random variation in parts led to best sounding combinations.

I still love the story, true or folklore, of the guitarist who first started using the Strat and occasionally found the right combination of pickups with counterwound pickups and just momentairily noticed the unique sound they got when the 3 position pickup switch was held in the "in between" position to get the blended sound of the pickups. The guys would then modify the switch so they could obtain the blended tone. If I recall Strats didn't get 5 position switches until some time in the '70's.
M

 

[Nuuska]

And later some folks started to change their 5-position switches to 3-position models claiming that there is difference in sound. . . .

Only real difference was the amount of holes that lock the positions

 

[Guildedagain]

 

[Guildedagain]

I still love the story, true or folklore, of the guitarist who first started using the Strat and occasionally found the right combination of pickups with counterwound pickups and just momentairily noticed the unique sound they got when the 3 position pickup switch was held in the "in between" position to get the blended sound of the pickups. The guys would then modify the switch so they could obtain the blended tone. If I recall Strats didn't get 5 position switches until some time in the '70's

That it quite a "story".

Everyone knew about the positions from day one.

No one modded the switch, it would hang there by itself quite well.

Some used matchbook cover material to jam the switch in place in its slot.

There is nothing "counterwound" about the original Strat pickups, none are reverse wound or reverse polarity, the #2-4 position are not out of phase with each other.

The counterwound middle pickup later used to cancel hum in #2-4 positions is also reverse polarity, known as RWRP.



Fender didn't see fit to put the 5 way switch on the Strat til 1977, so it's not like people were screaming for it.