Resonance

What it means

Resonance is the sympathetic vibration of a body capable of vibrating when a note sounds that corresponds to its natural note or an overtone. The body is excited by the sound waves and itself gives off sound. In older German this was called Mittönen. Every sounding body has its own frequencies at which it responds especially strongly.

Musical use

Resonance is the basis of sound production in many instruments: the body of a violin or guitar and the soundboard of the piano reinforce the vibration of the strings and give it color. If you strike a note quietly on the piano and press the pedal, you hear other strings sounding along. Some instruments, such as the sitar, have additional sympathetic strings built in. The room also acts as a resonator.

Resonance should be distinguished from reverberation, which means the reflections in a room, and from the echo, a single delayed reflection.

Performance practice

Make use of resonance when playing: on the violin the open strings sound along when you play in their key. On the piano you can create resonance deliberately with the pedal. Take care that sympathetic strings enrich the sound but do not blur it.