Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Problem-Solving: Tuning of a Guitar String01:04

Problem-Solving: Tuning of a Guitar String

636
In the case of stringed instruments like the guitar, the elastic property that determines the speed of the sound produced is its linear mass density or the mass per unit length. This is simply called the linear density. If the string's linear density is constant along the string, then the linear density is simply the total mass divided by the total length.
The string's wave speed can be regulated by varying the linear density. Tension is the other property that determines the speed of...
636
Modes of Standing Waves - I01:03

Modes of Standing Waves - I

3.2K
A close look at earthquakes provides evidence for the conditions appropriate for resonance, standing waves, and constructive and destructive interference. A building may vibrate for several seconds with a driving frequency matching the building's natural frequency of vibration; this produces a resonance that results in one building collapsing while the neighboring buildings do not. Often, buildings of a certain height are devastated, while other taller buildings remain intact. This...
3.2K
Sound Waves: Resonance01:14

Sound Waves: Resonance

2.8K
Resonance is produced depending on the boundary conditions imposed on a wave. Resonance can be produced in a string under tension with symmetrical boundary conditions (i.e., has a node at each end). A node is defined as a fixed point where the string does not move. The symmetrical boundary conditions result in some frequencies resonating and producing standing waves, while other frequencies interfere destructively. Sound waves can resonate in a hollow tube, and the frequencies of the sound...
2.8K
Double Resonance Techniques: Overview01:12

Double Resonance Techniques: Overview

341
Double resonance techniques in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy involve the simultaneous application of two different frequencies or radiofrequency pulses to manipulate and observe two distinct nuclear spins. One important application of double resonance is spin decoupling, which selectively suppresses coupling with one type of nucleus while observing the NMR signal from another nucleus, simplifying the spectrum and enhancing resolution.
Spin decoupling is usually achieved by...
341
Types of Damping01:20

Types of Damping

6.8K
If the amount of damping in a system is gradually increased, the period and frequency start to become affected because damping opposes, and hence slows, the back and forth motion (the net force is smaller in both directions). If there is a very large amount of damping, the system does not even oscillate; instead, it slowly moves toward equilibrium. In brief, an overdamped system moves slowly towards equilibrium, whereas an underdamped system moves quickly to equilibrium but will oscillate about...
6.8K
Damped Oscillations01:07

Damped Oscillations

6.1K
In the real world, oscillations seldom follow true simple harmonic motion. A system that continues its motion indefinitely without losing its amplitude is termed undamped. However, friction of some sort usually dampens the motion, so it fades away or needs more force to continue. For example, a guitar string stops oscillating a few seconds after being plucked. Similarly, one must continually push a swing to keep a child swinging on a playground.
Although friction and other non-conservative...
6.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Plastic Creep Constraint in Nylon Instrument Strings.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Effects of Twisting and Surface Finish on the Mechanical Properties of Natural Gut Harp Strings.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same author

Effect of back wood choice on the perceived quality of steel-string acoustic guitars.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2019
Same author

Playability of the wolf note of bowed string instruments.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2018
Same author

Comparison of Mechanical Properties of Natural Gut and Synthetic Polymer Harp Strings.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2018
Same author

Mechanical Properties of Nylon Harp Strings.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2017
Same journal

High-resolution depth estimation for multiple wideband sources in deep sea via sparse Bayesian learninga).

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same journal

Depression markers in speech: An approach based on tract variables dynamics.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same journal

The oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) alters active and diurnal calling amid vessel noise in New York City.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same journal

Experimental noise characterisation of phase-locked tandem-rotor in edgewise flight.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same journal

The tune-text-temporal synergy: Prosodic effects of final segmental weakening in Neapolitan.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
Same journal

Monitoring vessel movement above critical offshore infrastructure using distributed acoustic sensing.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments
10:26

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

Published on: October 6, 2022

2.7K

A necessary condition for double-decay envelopes in stringed instruments.

Jim Woodhouse1

  • 1Department of Engineering, Cambridge University, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, United Kingdom.

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|January 1, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Stringed musical instruments, including pianos, guitars, lutes, mandolins, and banjos, were studied for their "double decay" sound profiles. Results show significant variations, with pianos and lutes exhibiting this phenomenon widely, while guitars show it rarely.

More Related Videos

Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication
10:16

Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication

Published on: December 2, 2011

14.2K
Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
09:10

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Published on: April 24, 2014

28.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 8, 2025

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments
10:26

Dendrochronological Dating and Provenancing of String Instruments

Published on: October 6, 2022

2.7K
Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication
10:16

Synthetic, Multi-Layer, Self-Oscillating Vocal Fold Model Fabrication

Published on: December 2, 2011

14.2K
Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
09:10

Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics

Published on: April 24, 2014

28.0K

Area of Science:

  • Acoustics
  • Musical Instrument Physics
  • Vibrational Analysis

Background:

  • The
  • double decay
  • transient response is a well-documented phenomenon in pianos.
  • Its occurrence in other stringed instruments remains less systematically studied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the conditions under which five different stringed musical instruments exhibit transient response featuring a
  • double decay
  • sound profile.
  • To compare the prevalence of this phenomenon across various instruments.

Main Methods:

  • Measurements of body vibration characteristics were performed on five distinct stringed musical instruments.
  • Analysis focused on predicting the occurrence of
  • double decay
  • sound profiles based on vibrational data.

Main Results:

  • Pianos are predicted to exhibit
  • double decay
  • sound profiles across most of their playing range.
  • Guitars are likely to show this phenomenon only on a few notes near strong body resonances.
  • Lutes, mandolins (often double-strung), and banjos (single-strung) are predicted to show significant
  • double decay
  • occurrences, particularly at higher frequencies.

Conclusions:

  • The likelihood of observing
  • double decay
  • sound profiles varies considerably among stringed musical instruments.
  • Instrument design, stringing (single vs. double), and body resonances significantly influence the manifestation of this acoustic phenomenon.