When I was a mathematics teacher, I would tie my used guitar strings to boards, just like you tied the piano string to a board, and I would have students use fractions to mark off the sections correctly to get the notes of the musical scale. The basic idea is that they would use math to create a fretboard. I had one boy that really got excited about the project and learned how to play melodies on his one-string "guitar" board. Now that I am studying how to tune pianos, I almost find it hard to believe that anyone interested in piano does not already know about this, but then again, its sadly not taught in most schools. At least my students know it, well at least the ones paying attention. :-)
I have only just come across these videos and they are fascinating! As you say, most players have only a scant knowledge of overtones, if they have any at all. The piano is a "given" entity, and all they do is play it. A while back I read Schoenberg's "Theory of Harmony" (a big book, but a good read and not in the least a compendium of rules, as many harmony text books are) and he writes at some length about the overtones. So to have this wonderful series to illustrate his writing is a godsend. Thank you very much indeed!
Piano tuning newbie here, your 5th partial example (@3:30) sounds quite sharp to me, comparing to the piano note you played. Am I hearing that correctly?
Hi Guy, I actually made the video for part three today. It will be uploaded through the night tonight and will be available on our channel tomorrow morning. Thanks for watching!
howardpianoind Great. I play guitar, and we get overtones,and can do "pinch harmonics" and sometimes we will mute strings we are not playing to avoid overtones, and sounds we don't want.
Trying for the first time to tune my piano, used an app for the first few notes but then went by ear to try and get chords to sound in synch and harmonious, I am pleased with my first attempt. However I don’t yet understand how partials come into play :/
Does it mean that C5 is connected to C4? I mean strings for each notes are not isolated from each other? In the piano they look separated from each other, physically. What is the explanation then that two notes like c4 and c5 on a piano influence each others? I understand well on the strings you fix in the table. But not for a piano... Can it be the air vibration in the piano that is going from strings to strings? Sorry for these questions, i wish to understand . Thank you.
Thanks for your questions! The C5 and C4 are not connected physically in the piano. They are separate notes an octave away from each other. Each C has its own separate set of strings. The partials are caused by the sound waves or air vibrations on the different strings in the piano.
When I was a mathematics teacher, I would tie my used guitar strings to boards, just like you tied the piano string to a board, and I would have students use fractions to mark off the sections correctly to get the notes of the musical scale. The basic idea is that they would use math to create a fretboard. I had one boy that really got excited about the project and learned how to play melodies on his one-string "guitar" board. Now that I am studying how to tune pianos, I almost find it hard to believe that anyone interested in piano does not already know about this, but then again, its sadly not taught in most schools. At least my students know it, well at least the ones paying attention. :-)
Thankyou, the demonstration clicked the wheels in my brain
I play guitar, it is exactly like guitar harmonics....exactly !
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching!
I have only just come across these videos and they are fascinating! As you say, most players have only a scant knowledge of overtones, if they have any at all. The piano is a "given" entity, and all they do is play it. A while back I read Schoenberg's "Theory of Harmony" (a big book, but a good read and not in the least a compendium of rules, as many harmony text books are) and he writes at some length about the overtones. So to have this wonderful series to illustrate his writing is a godsend. Thank you very much indeed!
Welcome to our channel! I hope that you’re able to learn a lot from our videos.
You are simply the best at explaining everything. Thank you for sharing. Have a good time.
Thanks so much for sharing. I'm so glad to come across to your videos. They made my study of piano tuning so much easier!
Thanks for watching Nicolette! I'm so glad you find the videos to be helpful.
Thanks for nice explaining video!
Glad it was helpful!
Great demonstration, Scott.
Thanks so much for this! I love free information
Piano tuning newbie here, your 5th partial example (@3:30) sounds quite sharp to me, comparing to the piano note you played. Am I hearing that correctly?
interesting ... looking forward to part 3
Hi Guy,
I actually made the video for part three today. It will be uploaded through the night tonight and will be available on our channel tomorrow morning. Thanks for watching!
howardpianoind
Great. I play guitar, and we get overtones,and can do "pinch harmonics" and sometimes we will mute strings we are not playing to avoid overtones, and sounds we don't want.
Trying for the first time to tune my piano, used an app for the first few notes but then went by ear to try and get chords to sound in synch and harmonious, I am pleased with my first attempt. However I don’t yet understand how partials come into play :/
Is a partial a harmonic?
Yes, it is.
Does it mean that C5 is connected to C4? I mean strings for each notes are not isolated from each other? In the piano they look separated from each other, physically. What is the explanation then that two notes like c4 and c5 on a piano influence each others? I understand well on the strings you fix in the table. But not for a piano...
Can it be the air vibration in the piano that is going from strings to strings? Sorry for these questions, i wish to understand .
Thank you.
Thanks for your questions! The C5 and C4 are not connected physically in the piano. They are separate notes an octave away from each other. Each C has its own separate set of strings. The partials are caused by the sound waves or air vibrations on the different strings in the piano.