A Listening Experiment: What Does the “Fundamental” Sound Like?

To hear the fundamental and various partials, try this experiment.

Pick a low bass string. Gently press the key so you raise the damper, but make no sound. Sound the string in these ways:

fundamental:
fleshy tip of a finger plucks just behind the damper – “boom”

mid-partials:
fingernail plucks close to where the brass string windings end – “clang”

high partials:
fingernail pluck on the short plain steel wire just after the string windings have ended – “sizzle”