Harmonics on a spectrogram

In the spectrogram, the harmonics appear as horizontal lines - they have constant frequency. The power of each harmonic increases with time, so the sound becomes louder. The higher harmonics increase more than do the lower, which makes the timbre 'brassier' or brighter, and also makes it louder.

1. What does H look like on a spectrogram?
2. Are harmonics evenly spaced on a spectrum?
3. What is the difference between a harmonic and a formant?
4. How do you read a spectrogram?

What does H look like on a spectrogram?

[h] [h] is really a voiceless version of the preceding or following vowel. On a spectrogram, it looks a little like a cross between a fricative and a vowel. It will have a lot of random noise that looks like static, but through the static you can usually see the faint bands of the voiceless vowel's formants.

Are harmonics evenly spaced on a spectrum?

(Harmonics are always evenly spaced, so the higher the fundamental frequency —the pitch of my voice—the further apart the harmonics will be.)

What is the difference between a harmonic and a formant?

Simple answer:

Harmonics are considered the source of the sound. Formants come from the vocal tract. The air inside the vocal tract vibrates at different pitches depending on its size and shape of opening.

How do you read a spectrogram?

In the spectrogram view, the vertical axis displays frequency in Hertz, the horizontal axis represents time (just like the waveform display), and amplitude is represented by brightness. The black background is silence, while the bright orange curve is the sine wave moving up in pitch.