--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you hit a string or a piece of metal…" description: "\"When you hit a string or a piece of metal or anything that vibrates, you hear the fundamental pitch that the thing is vibrating at, but you hear a seri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/bear-mccreary-4348_anything_when-you-hit-a-string-or-a-piece-of-meta_379323.jpg" --- # When you hit a string or a piece of metal or anything that… ![“When you hit a string or a piece of metal or anything that vibrates, you hear the fundamental pitch that the thing is vibrating at, but you hear a series of overtones - of harmonic frequencies - that you're not exactly aware that you're hearing. And those are a series of notes that are…” quote by Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/bear-mccreary-4348_anything_when-you-hit-a-string-or-a-piece-of-meta_379323.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/bear-mccreary-4348_anything_when-you-hit-a-string-or-a-piece-of-meta_379323.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e84/bear-mccreary-4348_anything_when-you-hit-a-string-or-a-piece-of-meta_379323.jpg) > “When you hit a string or a piece of metal or anything that vibrates, you hear the fundamental pitch that the thing is vibrating at, but you hear a series of overtones - of harmonic frequencies - that you're not exactly aware that you're hearing. And those are a series of notes that are increasingly higher than the fundamental.” [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When an object vibrates, we perceive its base tone plus higher harmonic overtones that shape its timbre. **In simple terms:** Sounds consist of a fundamental pitch plus higher harmonics. Key Takeaway Listen for hidden layers in everyday sounds. Themes music physics perception acoustics Mood curious analytical educational Type explanatory technical When to use this quote - instrument tuning - audio engineering - musical composition - environmental listening Key Concepts harmonic series frequency analysis sound texture Questions to Reflect On - How do overtones affect emotional response? - Can you identify the fundamental in complex sounds? A Different Perspective Overtones can be subtle and easily missed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. 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Metal detectors, police vehicle barriers and heavily-armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-crapo/security-is-a-component-of-everyday-life-that-one-spending-time-in/) [Mike Crapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-crapo/) > [She's the quiet type who's into heavy metal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/she-s-the-quiet-type-who-s-into-heavy-metal/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [I think that the fact of the matter is that metal isn't really part of the big picture of the gay, lesbian, transgender music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/i-think-that-the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-metal-isn-t-really-part/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [There is here a great melting pot in which we must compound a precious metal. 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We're individualistic and opinionated and severe in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-taylor/the-weird-thing-about-metal-fans-is-we-re-all-so-maladjusted-in-a-lot/) [Corey Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-taylor/) > [Only two to three per cent of an audience is interested in words and pays attention to lyrics; most of the rest of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stewart/only-two-to-three-per-cent-of-an-audience-is-interested-in-words-and/) [Al Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stewart/) > [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/) [Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/) > [I think metal fans are more loyal than other fans, and they are often more inclined to collect the albums of their favorite bands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varg-vikernes/i-think-metal-fans-are-more-loyal-than-other-fans-and-they-are-often/) [Varg Vikernes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varg-vikernes/) > [I don't want my kids to live like I do, sweating in a little metal box. I want them to have sunshine. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-higgins/i-don-t-want-my-kids-to-live-like-i-do-sweating-in-a-little-metal-box/) [Alex Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-higgins/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [What puts people off metal is they think it's all nutters and blood. We don't want to be seen that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sykes/what-puts-people-off-metal-is-they-think-it-s-all-nutters-and-blood/) [Oliver Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sykes/) ## More by Bear McCreary > [I think the thing that music can do is be unsettling. 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On 'Outlander,' because it's premium cable and because of the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/on-a-network-show-you-can-get-six-days-to-score-an-episode-on/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to work Mark Hamill in creating the 'Child's Play Theme.' He dove into the experience head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/i-was-thrilled-to-have-had-the-opportunity-to-work-mark-hamill-in/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [At first glance, I was nervous that 'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' would be difficult to approach... It ties together a cinematic universe that spans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/at-first-glance-i-was-nervous-that-marvel-s-agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [The theme is the most essential component of a new series and I spend a lot of time developing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/the-theme-is-the-most-essential-component-of-a-new-series-and-i-spend/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) [Explore all 112 Bear McCreary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. 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That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. 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Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you hit a string or a piece of metal or anything that vibrates, you hear the fundamental pitch that the thing is vibrating at, but you hear a series of overtones - of harmonic frequencies - that you're not exactly aware that you're hearing. 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