Editing Fundamental frequency (section)

==In music==
In music, the fundamental is the musical [[pitch (music)|pitch]] of a note that is perceived as the lowest [[Harmonic series (music)#Partial|partial]] present. The fundamental may be created by [[vibration]] over the full length of a string or air column, or a higher harmonic chosen by the player. The fundamental is one of the [[harmonic]]s. A harmonic is any member of the harmonic series, an ideal set of frequencies that are positive integer multiples of a common fundamental frequency. The reason a fundamental is also considered a harmonic is because it is 1 times itself.<ref>{{cite book |title = Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound |author-link=John R. Pierce |last=Pierce |first=John R. |chapter=Consonance and Scales |editor-first=Perry R. |editor-last=Cook |publisher=[[MIT Press]] |date=2001 |isbn=978-0-262-53190-0 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=L04W8ADtpQ4C&q=musical+tone+harmonic+partial+fundamental+integer&pg=PA169}}</ref>

The fundamental is the frequency at which the entire wave vibrates. Overtones are other sinusoidal components present at frequencies above the fundamental. All of the frequency components that make up the total waveform, including the fundamental and the overtones, are called partials. Together they form the harmonic series. Overtones which are perfect integer multiples of the fundamental are called harmonics. When an overtone is near to being harmonic, but not exact, it is sometimes called a harmonic partial, although they are often referred to simply as harmonics. Sometimes overtones are created that are not anywhere near a harmonic, and are just called partials or inharmonic overtones.

The fundamental frequency is considered the ''first harmonic'' and the ''first partial''.  The numbering of the partials and harmonics is then usually the same; the second partial is the second harmonic, etc.  But if there are inharmonic partials, the numbering no longer coincides. Overtones are numbered as they appear {{em|above}} the fundamental. So strictly speaking, the ''first'' overtone is the ''second'' partial (and usually the ''second'' harmonic). As this can result in confusion, only harmonics are usually referred to by their numbers, and overtones and partials are described by their relationships to those harmonics.