Tension directly governs the velocity of transverse string vibrations.

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 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

Related

• Pitch is controlled by string length, tension, or mass (similarity 0.93)
• String pitch depends on mass per unit length, length, and tension (similarity 0.90)
• When a string’s linear density is fixed, pitch is varied by tension and length (similarity 0.89)
• String pitch rises with tension and falls with length and density (similarity 0.87)
• Body size relative to open-string pitch shapes each string instrument’s distinctive timbre. (similarity 0.87)
• Instrument stiffness versus tension determines how widely its modes are spaced (similarity 0.87)
• String tension directly controls transverse wave speed, enabling instrument tuning (similarity 0.87)
• Real string stiffness slightly raises wave velocity with frequency, affecting timbre. (similarity 0.85)
• String vibration is driven by changing force direction, not changing tension (similarity 0.85)
• Fretted instruments set pitch by vibrating string length (similarity 0.84)
• Slightly mistuned piano strings produce richer, longer-lasting sound (similarity 0.82)
• String stiffness makes higher frequencies travel faster, changing timbre (similarity 0.82)
• Resonator pitch scales with gas speed, volume, neck geometry (similarity 0.81)
• A string’s stiffness raises its higher-frequency modes above the ideal values (similarity 0.80)
• A tiny extra mass ruins a string’s harmonic spacing and makes it sound sour (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• String pitch depends on mass per unit length, length, and tension #expands (0.85) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1069
• All acoustic impedances are ratios of force to velocity #expands (0.72)