Pitch (music)

In music, pitch is the perception of the frequency of a note. For example, the A above middle C is nowadays set at (often written as "A = 440 Hz", and known as concert pitch), although this has not always been the case (see "Historical pitch standards"). Pitch is often cited as one of the fundamental aspects of music.

Changing the pitch of a vibrating string

There are four ways to change the pitch of a vibrating string. String instruments are tuned by varying the strings' tension because adjusting length or diameter is impractical.

Related Topics:
Vibrating string - String instrument

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Length

Pitch can be adjusted by varying the length of the string. A longer string will result in a lower pitch. A shorter string will result in a higher pitch. The change in pitch is inversely proportional to the change in length:

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f propto {1 over l}

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A string twice as long will produce a tone half the pitch.

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Diameter

Pitch can be adjusted by varying the diameter of the string. A thicker string will result in a lower pitch. A thinner string will result in a higher pitch. The change in pitch is inversely proportional to the change in diameter:

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f propto {1 over d}

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Tension

Pitch can be adjusted by varying the tension of the string. A string with less tension (looser) will result in a lower pitch, while a string with greater tension (tighter) will result in a higher pitch. The change in pitch is proportional to the square root of the change in tension:

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f propto sqrt{T}

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Density

The pitch of a string can also be varied by changing the density of the string. The change in pitch is inversely proportional to the square root of the change in density:

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f propto {1 over sqrt{ ho}}

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