Why Do Bells Sound Out of Tune?

US Inherently off-kilter sounds explained      25/04/24

Often horror films use bells to give you a sense of unease, given the odd mix of harmonics which are generated when they're struck. In this video Joey Brink explains how the minor harmonics are inherently strong in the bells physical properties - meaning that even the major scale will sound minor! Here's what he has to say: 

Bells often sound of tune, but why? Are they really out of tune? Or is something else going on? Dive into the acoustics of bells with me and we'll uncover this mystery!

0:00 Intro

0:48 Piano Harmonics

1:54 Natural Harmonic Series

3:00 Bell partials (Bell overtones)

4:37 Comparing major & minor sounds

5:42 Stacking minor thirds (diminished chord)

6:24 Conclusion

This is the first video in a series I'm planning where I dive behind the scenes of the carillon. In future videos I'm hoping to cover more on acoustics, instrument design, performance techniques, arranging and composing, practicing, instrument maintenance, and more. Let me know what you'd like to hear about in the comments below!

More from Joey Brink 

 

About the author [midierror]: midierror makes nifty Max For Live devices, innovative music hardware, award winning sample packs and hosts a podcast speaking to people in the music world.

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