Odd Harmonics Only

In a tone such as the clarinet, even harmonics are much weaker than odd.

In a synthesized tone with only odd harmonics, we hear the fundamental (repetition) frequency ... except...

• when the fundamental is absent;
• sufficiently low frequencies;
• see oddharmonics.m.

When the pitch frequency is low, the loudness of the fundamental (and other low harmonics) is much less than that of the higher harmonics (recall equal-loudness curves).

In the case of odd harmonics only, the frequency separation between successive odd harmonics is twice the pitch frequency.

• the ear makes a pitch judgment based on the distance between the higher harmonics.