Pitch is controlled by string length, tension, or mass

Evidence

All stringed instruments consist of one or more strings stretched between two points, and the f0 produced by the string is dependent on its mass per unit length, length and tension. For any practical musical instrument, the mass per unit length of an individual string is constant, and changes are made to the tension and/or the length to enable different notes to be played. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1069 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

Related

• Tension directly governs the velocity of transverse string vibrations. (similarity 0.93)
• String pitch depends on mass per unit length, length, and tension (similarity 0.93)
• When a string’s linear density is fixed, pitch is varied by tension and length (similarity 0.88)
• Body size relative to open-string pitch shapes each string instrument’s distinctive timbre. (similarity 0.85)
• Fretted instruments set pitch by vibrating string length (similarity 0.84)
• String pitch rises with tension and falls with length and density (similarity 0.84)
• Resonator pitch scales with gas speed, volume, neck geometry (similarity 0.82)
• Octave stretching on pianos emerges directly from string inharmonicity (similarity 0.81)
• Slightly mistuned piano strings produce richer, longer-lasting sound (similarity 0.81)
• String length ratios explain musical intervals since Pythagoras (similarity 0.80)
• Instrument stiffness versus tension determines how widely its modes are spaced (similarity 0.80)
• Brass instruments vary pitch by mechanically changing the length of their tubing (similarity 0.79)
• Every stringed instrument is analyzable as a sound source plus modifiers (similarity 0.79)
• String tension directly controls transverse wave speed, enabling instrument tuning (similarity 0.79)
• Pythagoras established the inverse relation between pitch and string length (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• String pitch depends on mass per unit length, length, and tension #corroborates (0.98) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1069
• Tension directly governs the velocity of transverse string vibrations. #expands (0.85)
• Vocal pitch is controlled through fold tension and vibrating mass #exemplifies (0.75)
• Piano octave stretching grows with pitch as strings shorten #expands (0.72) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1097