What is the Harmonic?

Answer 1

The harmonic series is a sequence of notes and frequencies. These notes occurr naturally, even resonating in natural cave formations and cathedrals. It has to do with the natural fractions of a frequency. Imagine a string vibrating. It creates a kind of elongated "jump rope" shape. Now imagine that we have placed a weight in that jumprope so that it is held down perfectly in half causing each side to rotate separately but in unison. This devision causes the note to jump up an octave on a stringed instrument. When you continue to make these devisions in the jump rope, (halfs, thirds quarters fifths, etc) the notes will sound in a specific series, starting with the first note (or open string), then a perfect octave above that, then a perfect fifth above that, then a perfect fourth, Major Third, Minor Third etc.

The issue of the harmonic series is a complicated one because as one progresses up the natural order of fractions, the notes become imperfect or out of tune with one another. This is why today we have a tempered tuning system for our pianos instead of a harmonic series tuning system!

There u go