Tartini Tone

November 26, 2009 at 5:10 PM

I just have to say this funny new thing about my violin:

When playing D on the A string combined with F# on the E string, the resulting perfectly in tune 3rd creates a Tartini tone on open D. My violin's D string will actually sound like I'm playing it if I hit it just right.

Good or bad? It's certainly very distracting, but VERY cool.

From Bart Meijer
Posted on November 26, 2009 at 6:28 PM

Once in a while my D string does the same thing. It must be good! Interesting that we both noticed.

Some time ago in one of the discussion threads someone wrote that Tartini tones were "all in the mind", probably meaning that they depended on processing in the brain only. I thought of citing the resonating D string example to the contrary, but let go of it.

To be fair, the impression of difference tones can be generated by the brain as well: the existence of binaural beats (offer f1 in one ear, f2 in the other, and you get f1, f2 and f1-f2) proves that.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on November 27, 2009 at 1:49 PM

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a "Tartini tone"?

From Marianne Hansen
Posted on November 28, 2009 at 1:15 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartini_tone

From Tom Holzman
Posted on December 2, 2009 at 2:28 AM

Thanks., Marianne.

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