Leaderboard

You can learn by experimentation too. Find a piano and try this. Press and hold A(440Hz) above middle C without sounding it. Then strike the A (220Hz) an octave below and let it go. You should hear the A440 ringing. this is because it is the first harmonic of the lower A. Try this again, this time holding down the E above A440. And you will hear this string resonate, the second harmonic of A220, but at a lower volume. You can do this for every harmonic that is based on the fundamental pitch. See the series here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_%28music%29. All musical instruments produce these harmonics, but at different volumes. For example, the clarinet produces a sort of hollow sound because of the preponderence of odd harmonics. You can train yourself to hear these harmonics when deciding which instruments and the notes they play will work together in an orchestration.