first harmonic

6.7

The basic tone of a musical note that gives its pitch

noun
/fɜrst hɑːrˈmɒnɪk/

Specialized

: primer armónico

In a harmonic series, the first harmonic corresponds to the fundamental frequency of the note played.

Examples

Indeed, most pulsating stars are observed to pulsate in the fundamental or in the first harmonic, and some stars pulsate in both.

Academic text (1991)
So this is maybe the first harmonic, the second harmonic, the third harmonic.
So, Raj, if you can play us the first harmonic and then the open string, right?
It's going to consist of a A, a first harmonic and then the second harmonic and the third harmonic and so on.
When tuning their instruments, musicians often start with the first harmonic to ensure they are in tune.
The first harmonic produces a sound that is pleasing to the ear and serves as the foundation for other frequencies.

Synonyms

fundamental frequency

vsfirst harmonic

Specialized

1 4.9

The lowest note a sound makes that decides its pitch

is the basic tone in a series of related tones not a general pitch term

fundamental

vsfirst harmonic

Specialized

1 7.9

The lowest tone in a sound that gives the pitch

is the basic tone in a series of related tones not a general pitch term

How High

harmonic

Specialized

3 6.7

first harmonic

Specialized

6.7

Surface Forms

first harmonic singular

first harmonics plural

Morphology

first + harmonic

The meaning is directly compositional: 'first' + 'harmonic' denotes the first item in a harmonic series (the fundamental). This is a standard, non-idiomatic technical composition used similarly across languages in music/physics, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to derive the intended meaning.

Etymology

The term first harmonic comes from the image of a vibrating string. The first and lowest harmonic is the main, strongest tone the string makes, so first harmonic means the 'basic tone' or 'fundamental frequency' that gives a note its pitch.