You can tuna fish, but you can't tune a piano

[Slartibartfast]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Slarti, what wolf is describing (I think) is the resonance of the other strings. That is, you purposely strike one key, and the string vibrates--but those vibrations in the air also cause the strings around it to vibrate slightly as well, even though you didn't hit their keys. Dampen all the other strings so they can't start vibrating on their own, and the overall sound you hear is very different.

I''m not sure Clodfobble. On a piano, all the strings have a damper on them to begin. When you strike a key, the damper on those strings alone rises to let them vibrate. As soon as you let a key go, the damper comes down again.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

I played the viola for about 7 years--like the guitar, the note of each string can also be played on the lower strings by holding the fingertips down higher along the fingerboard. One of the ways you tested your instrument's tuning was to play the note on a lower string, and if you'd done your job right, the open string of the same note would start vibrating very strongly on its own.

This sounds like the other string is resonating because it has the frequency of the first, do I have this right?