Harmonic spectrum

A harmonic spectrum is a spectrum containing only frequency components whose frequencies are whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency; such frequencies are known as harmonics. "The individual partials are not heard separately but are blended together by the ear into a single tone."^[1]

In other words, if $\omega$ is the fundamental frequency, then a harmonic spectrum has the form

\{\dots ,-2\omega ,-\omega ,0,\omega ,2\omega ,\dots \}.

A standard result of Fourier analysis is that a function has a harmonic spectrum if and only if it is periodic.

References

^ Benward, Bruce and Saker, Marilyn (1997/2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.xiii. Seventh edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

[1] Benward, Bruce and Saker, Marilyn (1997/2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I, p.xiii. Seventh edition. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.

[1]

Acoustics
Acoustical engineering	Architectural acoustics Monochord Reverberation Soundproofing String vibration Sympathetic resonance	Spectrogram
Psychoacoustics	Pitch Bark scale Mel scale Equal-loudness contour Fletcher–Munson curves
Audio frequency and pitch	Beat Formant Fundamental frequency Frequency spectrum harmonic spectrum Harmonic Series Inharmonicity Missing fundamental Combination tone Mersenne's laws Overtone Resonance Standing wave Node Subharmonic
Acousticians	John Backus Jens Blauert Ernst Chladni Hermann von Helmholtz Carleen Hutchins Franz Melde Marin Mersenne Werner Meyer-Eppler Lord Rayleigh Joseph Sauveur D. Van Holliday Thomas Young
Related topics	Echo Infrasound Sound Ultrasound Musical acoustics Piano Violin
Category

Speedway

Harmonic spectrum

See also

References