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I'm very new at Python but really interested in making a code that could simulate guitar strings. How would I go about doing this? Or at least how would I begin to do this? Any help is appreciated!

Thank you!

EDIT:

I would like to see the sound waves when playing different strings, notes, etc. I am also interested in the sound waves when two different strings are being played, and how that changes when they are dissonant and consonant notes. Another thing I'm interested in is how sometimes strings vibrate when they are not being plucked (resonance).

Any help is appreciated, thank you!!!

Kats Wolfver
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  • You're question is a lot vague, could you please clarify what exactly about guitar strings you want to simulate? I can think of 3 inane things to simulate about guitar strings right off the top of my head, all of which I'm reasonably sure you're not interested in. – Travis Griggs Dec 05 '12 at 20:28
  • http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Sound-3rd-Richard-Berg/dp/0131457896 this book may be of interest. What level of detail are you trying to get? Is standing waves on a string sufficient, or do you want the full 3D non-linear sound waves? – tacaswell Dec 06 '12 at 03:44
  • standing waves on a string is sufficient – Kats Wolfver Dec 08 '12 at 16:59

1 Answers1

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This is really a question of sound synthesis, and there's no simple answer. There are a whole bunch of possible approaches--it's an entire field of study. Physical Audio Signal Processing by J.O. Smith is a good starting point, as is The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music by Miller Puckette. For guitar, you might particularly be interested in the Karpus-Strong method. Perhaps you should search for a Python implementation of it. It's a common project for students in music technology programs; I'm sure there are many.

acjay
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