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== Music based on the overtone series ==
{{interwiki
| en = Harmonic series
| de = Obertonreihe
| es =
| ja =  
| ro = Seria armonică
}}
{{Wikipedia|Harmonic series (music)}}
The '''harmonic series''' is a sequence of [[Pitch|tone]]s generated by whole-number frequency [[ratio]]s over a fundamental: [[1/1]], [[2/1]], [[3/1]], [[4/1]], [[5/1]], [[6/1]], [[7/1]]… ad infinitum. Each member of this series is a [[harmonic]] (which is short for "harmonic partial").


The overtone series can be mathematically generated by frequency ratios 1/1, 2/1, 3/1, 4/1, 5/1, 6/1, 7/1... ad infinitum.
Note that the terms ''overtone'' and '''overtone series''' are not quite synonymous with ''harmonic'' and ''harmonic series'', respectively, although interchangeable usage is also attested. Technically speaking, ''overtone series'' excludes the starting fundamental, so the 2nd harmonic is the 1st overtone. Because of that distinction, the math of the "overtone series" is off by one. So, "harmonic series" is arguably the preferred standard.


The undertone series is its inversion: 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/7... ad infinitum.
In [[just intonation]] theory, the harmonic series is often treated as the foundation of consonance.  


Steps between adjacent members of either series are called "[[superparticular]]," and they appear in the form (n+1)/n, e.g. 4/3, 28/27, 33/32...
The [[subharmonic series]] (or undertone series) is the inversion of the harmonic series: 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5, 1/6, 1/7... ad infinitum.


In just intonation theory, the overtone series is often treated as the foundation of consonance. The [[chord of nature]] is the name sometimes given to the overtone series, or the series up to a certain stopping point, regarded as a chord.
[[File:HEJI harmonics 1-16.png|thumb|center|650px|Harmonic series on A, partials 1 to 16, notated in [[HEJI]].]]


One might compose with the overtone series by, for instance:
== Chord of nature ==
{{Wikipedia|Klang (music)}}
Treated as a [[chord]], the harmonic series is sometimes called the '''chord of nature'''; in German this has been called the '''Klang'''.


* Tuning to the first several overtones over one fundamental.
The ''q''-limit chord of nature is 1:2:3:4:...:''q'' up to some odd number ''q'', and is the basic ''q''-[[limit]] [[Otonality and utonality|otonality]] which can be equated via [[Octave reduction|octave equivalence]] to other versions of the complete ''q''-limit otonal chord.
* Tuning to an octave-repeating slice of the overtone series for use as a scale (for instance overtones 8 though 16, [[otones12-24|12 through 24]], [[otones20-40|20 through 40]]... see [[overtone scales]]).
* Tuning to the overtones of the overtones.
* Tuning to the overtones of the overtones & the undertones of the undertones. (This can produce complex scales such as [[Harry Partch]]'s 43-tone Monophonic; this kind of thing is more often called "[[JustIntonation|just intonation]]" than "overtone music".)


== External links ==
== Music based on the harmonic series ==
The [[chord of nature]] is the name sometimes given to the harmonic series, or the series up to a certain stopping point, regarded as a chord.
 
Steps between adjacent members of the harmonic series are called "[[superparticular]]," and they appear in the form (''n''+1)/''n'' (e.g. [[4/3]], [[28/27]], [[33/32]]).
 
One might compose with the harmonic series by, for instance:
 
* Tuning to the first several harmonics over one fundamental;
* Tuning to an octave-repeating slice of the harmonic series for use as a scale (for instance harmonics 8 though 16, [[otones12-24|12 through 24]], [[otones20-40|20 through 40]]... see [[overtone scales]]);
* Tuning to the overtones of the overtones & the undertones of the undertones. (This can produce complex scales such as [[Harry Partch]]'s 43-tone Monophonic; this kind of thing is more often called "just intonation" than "overtone music".)
 
== Music ==
; [[Richard Burdick]]
* [http://www.i-ching-music.com/FREE102.html ''Planetary Ripples'']{{dead link}}
 
; [[Folkart Slovakia]] ([http://www.fujara.sk/audio_samples.htm site])
* Various played with Fujara (slovak overtone flute)
 
; {{w|Georg Friedrich Haas}}
* Various<sup>[''which?'']</sup>
 
; [[Dave Hill]]
* [http://sonic-arts.org/hill/10-passages-ji/10-passages-ji.htm ''Chord Progression on the Harmonic Overtone Series'']{{dead link}} [http://sonic-arts.org/hill/10-passages-ji/06_hill_chord-progression-on-harmonic-series.mp3 play]{{dead link}}
 
; [[Norbert Oldani]]
* ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Oldani/DroneInsideAnHarmonicSeries.mp3 Drone Inside An Harmonic Series]''{{dead link}}
 
; [[Dave Seidel]]
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/18/threnody ''Threnody'']{{dead link}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20201127015923/http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Threnody.mp3 play]
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/22/owllight ''Owllight'']{{dead link}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20201127012201/http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Owllight.mp3 play]
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/23/palimpsest ''Palimsest'']{{dead link}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20201127012920/http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Palimpsest.mp3 play]
 
; [[William Sethares]]
* ''Immanent Sphere'' – [https://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/mp3s/immanent.html detail] | [https://web.archive.org/web/20201127013148/http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Sethares/ImmanentSphere.mp3 play]
 
; [[SoundWell]] ([http://www.soundwell.com/en/music site])
* Various ("Snake" overtone flute)
 
; [[Spectral Voices]] ([http://www.spectralvoices.com/ site])
* Various (meditative new age with overtone singing)
 
; [[Stimmhorn]] ([http://www.stimmhorn.ch/ site])
* Various (experimental alphorn and yodeling combined with overtone singing)
 
; {{w|Karlheinz Stockhausen}}
* {{w|Stimmung|''Stimmung''}} (1968)
* {{w|Sternklang|''Sternklang''}} (1971)


* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_music Spectral music article on wikipedia]
; [[Cam Taylor]]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music) Harmonic series article on wikipedia]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECLEbVXoTvA Harmonic series 4-8, 8-16 and 16-32 on the Lumatone] (2022)
* [http://www.naturton-musik.de/ www.naturton-musik.de] - web site dedicated to overtone music (by Austrian composer Johannes Kotschy) - a lot of theory material and practical guides to write music based on the overtone series
* [http://www.overtone.cc Overtone music network] - a portal for overtone music.
* [http://www.xing.com/net/overtonenetwork Oberton-Netzwerk (Xing)] - German-speaking group dedicated to overtone music on the social network platform [http://www.xing.com Xing]. Microtonal music in general is welcome, too.


== Some individual compositions ==
; [[Chris Vaisvil]]
* ''Rock Trio in Harmonic Series'' (2016) – [http://chrisvaisvil.com/rock-trio-in-harmonic-series/ blog] | [http://micro.soonlabel.com/harmonic_series/Nevadatite20160226_harmonic_band.mp3 play]


* ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Oldani/DroneInsideAnHarmonicSeries.mp3 Drone Inside An Harmonic Series]'' by [[Norbert Oldani]]
; {{w|Glenn Branca}} ([http://www.glennbranca.com/ site])
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/18/threnody Threnody] ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Threnody.mp3 play]'' by [[Dave Seidel]]
* ''Symphony No. 3 "Gloria"'' (1983)
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/22/owllight Owllight] ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Owllight.mp3 play]'' by Dave Seidel
* [http://mysterybear.net/article/23/palimpsest Palimsest] ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Seidel/Palimpsest.mp3 play]'' by Dave Seidel
* [http://eceserv0.ece.wisc.edu/%7Esethares/mp3s/immanent.html Immanent Sphere] ''[http://clones.soonlabel.com/public/micro/gene_ward_smith/Others/Sethares/ImmanentSphere.mp3 play]'' by [[William Sethares]]
* [http://sonic-arts.org/hill/10-passages-ji/10-passages-ji.htm Chord Progression on the Harmonic Overtone Series] ''[http://sonic-arts.org/hill/10-passages-ji/06_hill_chord-progression-on-harmonic-series.mp3 play]'' by [[Dave Hill]]
* [http://chrisvaisvil.com/rock-trio-in-harmonic-series/ Rock Trio in Harmonic Series] [http://micro.soonlabel.com/harmonic_series/Nevadatite20160226_harmonic_band.mp3 play] by [[Chris Vaisvil]]
* [http://www.i-ching-music.com/FREE102.html Planetary Ripples] by Richard Burdick
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stimmung Stimmung] by Karlheinz Stockhausen
* [http://www.southern.com/southern/band/BRANC/disc.html Symphony No.3 (Gloria)] by [http://www.glennbranca.com/ Glenn Branca]
* Various by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Friedrich_Haas Georg Friedrich Haas]
* Various played with [http://www.fujara.sk/audio_samples.htm Fujara] (slovak overtone flute)
* Various by [http://www.soundwell.com/music-e.htm SoundWell] ("Snake" overtone flute)
* Various by [http://www.spectralvoices.com/review.htm Spectral Voices] (meditative new age with overtone singing)
* Various by [http://www.stimmhorn.ch/ Stimmhorn] (experimental alphorn and yodeling combined with overtone singing)


== See also ==
== See also ==
 
* [[Subharmonic series]]
* [[Gallery of just intervals]]
* [[Gallery of just intervals]]
* [[Isoharmonic chords]]
* [[Isoharmonic chords]]
* [[First Five Octaves of the Harmonic Series]]
* [[First Five Octaves of the Harmonic Series]]
* [[Overtone scales]]
* [[Overtone scales]]
* [[List of overtones]]
* [[List of octave-reduced harmonics]]
* [[Prime harmonic series]]
* [[Prime harmonic series]]
* [[Harmonic]]
* [[Mike Sheiman's Very Easy Scale Building From The Harmonic Series Page]]
* [[8th Octave Overtone Tuning]]
* [[Johannes Kotschy]]
 
== External links ==
 
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_music Spectral music article on Wikipedia]
* [http://www.naturton-musik.de/ www.naturton-musik.de]{{dead link}} - web site dedicated to overtone music (by Austrian composer Johannes Kotschy) - a lot of theory material and practical guides to write music based on the overtone series
* [http://www.overtone.cc Overtone music network] - a portal for overtone music.
* [https://www.xing.com/net/overtonenetwork Oberton-Netzwerk (Xing)]{{dead link}} - German-speaking group dedicated to overtone music on the social network platform [http://www.xing.com Xing]. Microtonal music in general is welcome, too.
        
        
[[Category:Harmonic]]
[[Category:Harmonic]]
[[Category:Harmonic series]]
[[Category:Just intonation]]
[[Category:Listen]]
[[Category:Listen]]
[[Category:Overtone]]
[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Overview]]
[[Category:People]]
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