The significance of
its use is somewhat varied among teachers, but it generally means head
resonance, or a tone "sent over" through the head cavities. The term is
used here technically, not arbitrarily. Overtones are not confined to the
voice, but are those constituent parts of any tone which are produced by
the vibrating segments into which any vibrating cord will divide itself.
Any cord, or string, stretched between two given points, when struck will
vibrate throughout its entire length in waves of a certain length and with
a certain degree of rapidity, according to the tension of the string. This
vibration of the entire length of cord gives forth the tone heard as the
fundamental pitch or tone. Besides this fundamental or primary vibration,
the movement divides itself into segments, or sections, of the entire
length. These sections also have vibrations of their own which are of
shorter length and more rapid motion. The note given off by these
subdivisions is, of course, on a higher pitch than that produced by the
fundamental vibration of the cord; hence, they are higher tones, or
overtones. It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of
the sound waves or vibrations. This subdivision of the vibrations is
incalculably multiplied, so that it may be said to be impossible to
determine the number of overtones accompanying the fundamental tone.
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