Any frequency, including the fundamental, that a sounding body vibrates at and that together make up its tone.
Also called: partials, partial tone, harmonic partial
A partial is one of the pure frequencies that make up a sound. The fundamental is the lowest partial, and the partials above it are overtones. A string held at both ends vibrates as one loop, then as two halves, three thirds and so on, and each pattern gives a partial. With a fundamental of 110 Hz, the first four partials are 110, 220, 330 and 440 Hz. In a harmonic sound every partial is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental. Inharmonic sounds such as bells have partials that are not. A note usually contains many partials, and their relative strengths help define its timbre.
Acoustics & Sound
A vibrating string or air column sounds a fundamental and a set of partials at whole-number multiples of it. Here are the first sixteen, their cents, and where they differ from equal temperament.