# The harmonic series

When you play one note on a violin, the string vibrates as a whole and, at the same time, in halves, thirds, quarters and smaller parts. So one note is really a stack of frequencies, 1, 2, 3, 4… times the lowest one. These are the harmonics, and together they form the harmonic series. On a low C they give C, C an octave up, G, C again, E, G, a slightly flat B flat, and then they keep climbing, closer and closer together. Octaves, fifths, chords, timbre and the way the ear judges smoothness all come back to this series.

Connects to:
- [Strings and pipes](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_string)
- [Timbre](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_timbre)
- [Fourier's idea](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_fourier)
- [Overtone and undertone singing](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_overtone)
- [The missing fundamental](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_missing)
- [Roughness and consonance](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_roughness)
- [Chords and voice leading](https://mapideas.org/i/mu_chords)

Sources:
- [Wikipedia: Harmonic series (music)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music))
- [What is music? Module 2, the harmonic series](https://sofiagallego.com/what-is-music/)

Source: https://mapideas.org/i/mu_harmonics · open on the map: https://mapideas.org/#mu_harmonics