Pianos, guitars and double decays

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• Prof. Jim Woodhouse, Emeritus, CUED
• Friday 02 May 2025, 16:00-17:00
• JDB Seminar Room, CUED.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact div-c.

Some stringed instruments, such as the piano, have multiple strings associated with each note.  This has a consequence for the sound which is not immediately obvious: coupling between the strings can produce a decay profile for the note which starts steep, but gives way to a slower decay later in the note. To an extent, a piano tuner can tailor this double-decay profile by subtle adjustments. The talk will explore the physics behind this phenomenon, and examine whether other stringed instruments would be expected to display a similar effect. A criterion based on a measurement of the soundboard vibration at the string’s attachment point will be developed, and illustrated with data from several different stringed instruments.

This talk is part of the Engineering - Dynamics and Vibration Tea Time Talks series.

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