Gamelan avoids perfect octaves because bell partials are inharmonic

Evidence

3. If only the unevenly numbered partials are present (as in narrow stopped organ pipes, pianoforte strings struck in their middle points and clarinets), the quality of the tone is hollow, and, when a large number of such partials are present, nasal. When the prime tone predominates, the quality of the tone is rich; but when the prime tone is not sufficiently superior in strength to the upper partials, the quality of tone is poor. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1495 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The inharmonicity of real strings is a desirable feature, not a defect; A bell’s perceived pitch is usually absent from its actual partials; Half-period delay of a tone cancels odd partials and raises pitch an octave (+5 more)

Related

• Odd-numbered partials alone make a tone sound hollow or nasal (similarity 0.82)
• The inharmonicity of real strings is a desirable feature, not a defect (similarity 0.80)
• Tones with lower partials up to the sixth sound rich yet sweet (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Slightly inharmonic spectra are musically preferred over strictly harmonic ones #corroborates (0.80)
• Half-period delay of a tone cancels odd partials and raises pitch an octave #complicates (0.75)
• Rich complex tones can contain internally dissonant partials without sounding dissonant #corroborates (0.75)
• Odd-numbered partials alone make a tone sound hollow or nasal #exemplifies (0.75) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1495
• Twelve stacked perfect fifths fail to close the octave exactly #qualifies (0.70)