If the hammer is hard, and impelled with force, the string breaks into shorter sections, and the discordant upper partials of the string, thus brought into prominence, make the tone harsh.
Even partials above the primes will excite their equivalents up to the twelfth and double octave.
If the hammer is soft, and the force employed is moderated, the harmonious partials of the longer sections strike the ear, and the tone is full and round.
The more intermittent and interrupted the air current becomes, the greater the number of the upper partials produced.
The other upper partials will also be reinforced thereby, but to a less degree the higher the harmonics.
Further, who shall decide which particular combination of fundamental and upper partials constitutes the perfect singing tone?
It is possible to analyze a tone and learn how fundamental and upper partials are combined and how these combinations affect quality.
When two compound tones are sounded, say a minor third on a harmonium in the lower part of the keyboard, then we have beats not only between the primaries, but also between the upper partials of each of the primaries.
With each maximum and minimum different parts of the basilar membrane are affected, and affected a different number of times per second, according to the frequencies of the partials existing in the compound tone.
The lower partials added to the fundamental tone give softness combined with richness; while the higher, especially if they be very high, produce a brilliant and thrilling effect, as is caused by the brass instruments of an orchestra.
The partials up to the seventh are beyond beating distance, but above this they come close together.
When we listen to a compound tone, we have the power of picking out thesepartials from the general mass of sound.
These are termed harmonic or partial tones, and they are related to the first partial or fundamental tone in a very simple manner, being multiples of the fundamental tone: thus-- Fundamental Upper Partials or Harmonics.
Consequently instruments (such as tongues, or reeds) that abound in upper partials cause an intolerable dissonance if one of the primaries is slightly out of tune.
Some intervals are pleasant and satisfying when produced on instruments having fewpartials in their tones.
The chalumeau being a cylindrical pipe, the upper partials could only be in an odd series, and when Denner made them speak, they were consequently not an octave, but a twelfth above the fundamental notes.
Moreover, the upper partialsof the higher voice will also coincide with some of the lower.
The unisonous quality of octaves is easily explained when we examine the "harmonic series" of upper partials (see SOUND).
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "partials" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
