effect of changing point of contact within the boundaries of a cellists judgement is as follows: !

Overtone content is maximal when point of contact is fairly close to the node, that is the bridge and/or the nut and/or either side of the touching finger.212 ! Overtone content is minimal when point of contact is at a particular distance away from any node. This is precisely half the distance from one node to another, or half the wavelength of the associated harmonic (i.e. 1/12 of the string for the 6th harmonic, # of the string for the 8th harmonic).213 ! Overtone content reduces as the point of contact moves from the positions associated with the maximal to minimal result.

The overtone-takeover point for harmonics is, compared with equivalent pitches on the stopped string, relatively far from the bridge. In addition, since there are relatively few partials available to take over the timbre, the noise element of plucking/striking/bowing close to the bridge becomes very present in the sound for contact points in this area. Particularly when bowing, the coarse bow-bridge noise strongly characterises the sound. For high harmonics, this noise element dominates the sound very quickly after the overtone-takeover point. The optimum bowing point then, at which maximally overtone-rich sounds and limited noise are produced, is slightly further from the bridge than a stopped string of equivalent pitch.

B4 Excitation force
APPLICATIONS SPECIFIC TO PLUCKING AND STRIKING

The relationship between excitation force and loudness in the case of harmonics is broadly the same as that of the normal stopped string.214
212

The other nodal points for the harmonic in question also maximise overtone content, however, as explained above, these are difficult to find, especially for high harmonics. 213 Similarly to the stopped string, this is not strictly true in the case of bowing (see A1 Point of contact). Bowing restricts partials with nodes and antinodes at a particular point (however, bowing close to an antinode allows the partial to vibrate well). This accounts for the certain black spots found on a string for each harmonic. At these points, antinodes for the associated harmonic, a light stuttering sound with little or no pitch is heard. For high harmonics, several of these black spots occur; the number of antinodes for a partial is the same as the partials order; accounting for a rising number of such regular contact points that do not seem to suit the harmonic as harmonic order increases. 214 See A2 String displacement and excitation force.

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