Pure, flute-like tones produced on string instruments by lightly touching the string at specific points while bowing, creating frequencies that are mathematical multiples of the fundamental pitch. These create ethereal, bell-like sounds with crystalline clarity.
From Greek 'harmonikos' meaning 'musical, harmonic,' from 'harmonia' (agreement, harmony). The acoustic phenomenon was understood in ancient times, but the systematic use of harmonics in Western art music developed during the Baroque period and expanded significantly in Romantic and modern compositions.
Harmonics are like finding hidden melodies sleeping inside every string—they reveal the secret mathematical relationships that make music work! When you hear those ghostly, crystalline tones floating above an orchestra, you're actually hearing the same physics that creates the beauty of a church bell or the resonance of a wine glass.
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