But what about 300Hz? That’s a multiple of 100Hz but it must occur somewhere between the two Gs at one and two octaves above the original. That means that a frequency of 400Hz would also be a G, only another octave higher. The first harmonic occurs when the original frequency doubles, so we’d get that harmonic at 200Hz and, as each octave jump doubles the frequency, that first harmonic will be a G too, only an octave above.

Imagine, for the sake of easy maths, a note with a frequency of 100Hz whose pitch we’ll call G (in truth, 100Hz is about halfway between G and G♯).

Harmonics are very important, so it would be wise to understand exactly what each one is relative to the fundamental frequency. The more odd-numbered harmonics you add, the more square the shape will become. For instance, if you add the odd-numbered harmonics to a sine wave, its shape will start to resemble a square wave. Many of the waveforms that we know well as synth programmers – such as sawtooth waves and square waves – come from the shapes that we see when specific groups of harmonics are added to a fundamental frequency. As soon as you begin to add additional overtones, each of these produces a sine wave of its own, modulating and complicating the original waveform so that it stops looking like a pure undulating shape and starts to take on new sonic characteristics. To understand this in scientific terms, we need to appreciate that any isolated single pitch produces a sine wave, which is a smooth oscillating shape that’s often described as sounding pure or hollow.

We refer to these additional, usually higher-frequency notes triggered directly as a result of the fundamental frequency, as overtones. In resonating, these pitches too produce pitches. What exactly are the harmonics? With any musical instrument, there’s a series of additional pitches that resonate whenever a fundamental frequency is played. In musical terms, this fundamental is referred to by its pitch name. At the bottom of each harmonic group is a single pure tone, which we call the fundamental frequency. Every single sound, bass or otherwise, is made up of a combination of harmonics. Putting sound itself under the microscope can help you to understand the layers of its component-level blocks. Blinded by scienceĬlearly, to understand why some bass sounds work better than others, we need to get forensic. But we’ll also explore harmonics – the building blocks of sound – to understand why particular combinations produce such distinctive tones at the bottom end of a mix, and help you design the perfect bedrock for your tracks. In this feature, it’s these tricks that we’ll be exploring. Record producers have countless tricks that help them balance these two elements and prevent the all-out sonic war that can occur between them if not produced properly.

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