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Fundamentals vs Overtones: Middle C Note (or Any Note)
The table below shows the fundamental for the note Middle C, or any note for that matter. The overtones are simply whole-number multiples of the fundamental. The frequency ratios with respect to the fundamental are shown for the first 9 overtones.
You can see that the overtones with frequency ratios associated with the consonant scale degrees, 1 and 5 especially, and also 3, appear most prominently.
Only at the sixth overtone does a dissonance finally make an appearance. More on these phenomena in Chapter 6.
TABLE 23 Fundamental and First 9 Overtones of the “Middle C” Overtone Series
| Tone / Overtone | Multiple ofFundamental | FrequencyRatio | AssociatedScale Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamental | 1 (f) | 1 : 1 | 1 |
| 1st Overtone | f x 2 | 2 : 1 | 1 |
| 2nd Overtone | f x 3 | 3 : 2 | 5 |
| 3rd Overtone | f x 4 | 2 : 1 | 1 |
| 4th Overtone | f x 5 | 5 : 4 | 3 |
| 5th Overtone | f x 6 | 3 : 2 | 5 |
| 6th Overtone | f x 7 | 9 : 5 | ♭7 |
| 7th Overtone | f x 8 | 2 : 1 | 1 |
| 8th Overtone | f x 9 | 9 : 8 | 2 |
| 9th Overtone | f x 10 | 5 : 4 | 3 |