Tapping a bell at different points reveals distinct compass-note partials

Evidence

A good bell, when struck, yields one note, so that any person with an ear for music can say what it is. This note is called the consonant, and when it is distinctly heard the bell is said to be true. Any bell of moderate size … may be tested in the following manner. Tap the bell on the curve of the top and it will yield a note one octave above the consonant. Tap the bell about one quarter’s distance from top and it should yield a note which is the quint or fifth of an octave. Tap it two-quarters and a half lower and it will yield the tierce or third of an octave. Tap it strongly above the rim where the clapper strikes and the quint, the tierce and the octave will now sound simultaneously, yielding the consonant or key-note of the bell. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1121

Categorization

• XREF: The bell’s partial structure (octave, fifth, third) evokes the harmonic series from psychoacoustics chapters and overtones examined earlier in the book.
• DEFINE: Defines the bell ‘consonant’ note and compass partials by physical tapping location.