On the 'Wolf note' in bowed stringed instruments

Abstract

Philos Mag the wolf note bowed stringed instruments RAMAN Plate has long been known that all musical instruments belonging the violin family there particular note which difficult elicit satisfactory manner bowing. This called the wolf note and when sounded the body the instrument set vibration unusual degree and appears have been realized that the difficulty maintaining the note steadily due some way the sympathetic resonance the instrumentt recent papert White has published some interesting experimental work the subject confirming this view The most striking effect noticed the cyclical variation the intensity the note when the instrument forced speak this point White suggests explanation these fluctuations intensity that they are due beats which accompany the forced vibration impressed the resonator when the impressed pitch approaches the natural pitch the system The correctness this suggestion seems open serious criticism For the beats which are produced when periodic force acts resonator are brief duration being merely due the superposition its forced and free oscillations and when the present case the resonator freely communicates its energy the atmosphere and the force itself applied progressive manner and not suddenly such beats should wholly negligible importance and should moreover vanish entirely when the impressed pitch coincides with the natural pitch the present case the essential feature the persistency the fluctuations intensity and their markedness over not inc.