Numerical approximation of plucked string vibration for musical instrument synthesis

This thesis examines the motion of the string in 3D. Several methods for mathematical modeling of string motion are presented, and these are used to visually simulate string motion in 3D with the help of computer graphics. Physical experimentations involving a sonogram and a high-speed camera are conducted, and the results are compared with popular sound synthesis methods that model string motion. A model that takes into account the coupling of different polarizations is used for a simulation and the simulation results are compared to the string motion captured by a high-speed camera. Reasonable values are found for the simulation parameters by adjusting the simulation results with the physical experiments.