Harmonics
A sound wave that has a frequency that is an integer multiple of a fundamental tone
Harmonics, also known as overtones, are a special sound effect in music that refers to the additional high-frequency tones generated simultaneously during the production of sound by an instrument or a sound generator.
When an instrument or sound generator produces sound, in addition to the main fundamental frequency, a series of higher frequencies known as harmonics are simultaneously generated. These harmonics exist at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency and form a harmonic series.
Harmonics possess unique timbre and resonance characteristics, enriching the sound quality of an instrument or a sound. In instrumental performance, musicians can generate and control harmonics through specific techniques and fingerings. In choral and vocal singing, singers can also produce harmonics by utilizing appropriate vocal techniques.
Harmonics have wide applications in music. They can be used to create unique sound effects, enhancing the richness and expressiveness of music. Harmonics are also commonly employed in experimental and innovative approaches in contemporary music, providing a sound experience distinct from traditional music.
Example of Harmonics
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, the predominant musical figure during the transition between the Classical to Romantic eras. He occupies an unprecedented dominance in the history of Western music history, and has been widely regarded as the greatest, most influential and most popular musician who ever lived.
Beethoven's music inherited the artistic atmosphere of Haydn and Mozart, penetrated the desire for dignity, vented the anger tortured by fate, and demonstrated his determination to fight with fate.
Compared to other musicians, Beethoven is effectively to interact the philosophy of life with audience through music. Although he was not a romantic, he had become the object followed by other romantics.
As a musician, Beethoven suffered from ear diseases. However, he was unwilling to succumb to fate, vowing to take fate by the throat, and continue to complete his career. In the last ten years of his life, without hearing any sound, his compositions influenced the development of music for nearly two hundred years.