27.1 · Sound Itself
The harmonic series
A string playing C doesn't just vibrate whole. It also vibrates in halves, thirds, and quarters, all at once, and each division adds a quiet pitch above the note: the harmonic series. Every note you've ever heard is a set of overtones. Octaves, fifths, and the major chord sit at the bottom of it.
The series over one low C
The first eight harmonics, played loud so you can meet them. In a real note they all sound at once, quietly, inside the one pitch you name.
Why octaves and fifths feel clean
Two notes agree when their overtones overlap. An octave shares every other harmonic; a fifth shares every third. The more overlap, the smoother the blend.
Quiz
1 / 3The harmonic series exists because a string…