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From: glen herrmannsfeldt on 26 Apr 2010 19:29
Jerry Avins <jya(a)ieee.org> wrote:
(snip)

>> That sounds right. The modes of many instruments are not exactly
>> harmonically related, so harmonic isn't the right word.

> I refer to them as overtones. I too wonder "partial" of what?

According to wikipedia, a well known authoritative source,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)

"An overtone is any partial except the lowest."

It also says: "This can lead to numbering confustion, when comparing
overtones to partials; the first overtone is the second partial."

It seems to me that this does not follow the EE usage of overtone,
specifically in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_oscillator

there is mention of odd numbered overtones for crystal oscillators,
which I believe are odd multiples of the fundamental. By symmetry,
even multiples don't generate a piezoelectric voltage.

Otherwise, it seems to me that "partial" is similar to the
mathematical "component", that is, part of the musical sound.

-- glen
From: Tim Wescott on 26 Apr 2010 22:56
glen herrmannsfeldt wrote:
> Jerry Avins <jya(a)ieee.org> wrote:
> (snip)
>
>>> That sounds right. The modes of many instruments are not exactly
>>> harmonically related, so harmonic isn't the right word.
>
>> I refer to them as overtones. I too wonder "partial" of what?
>
> According to wikipedia, a well known authoritative source,
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)
>
> "An overtone is any partial except the lowest."
>
> It also says: "This can lead to numbering confustion, when comparing
> overtones to partials; the first overtone is the second partial."
>
> It seems to me that this does not follow the EE usage of overtone,
> specifically in:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_oscillator
>
> there is mention of odd numbered overtones for crystal oscillators,
> which I believe are odd multiples of the fundamental. By symmetry,
> even multiples don't generate a piezoelectric voltage.
>
> Otherwise, it seems to me that "partial" is similar to the
> mathematical "component", that is, part of the musical sound.

I think that the EE's tracked the usage of the word "harmonic" when they
chose "overtone" -- erroneously, if they wanted to match musical usage.

--
Tim Wescott
Control system and signal processing consulting
www.wescottdesign.com
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