noun
partial tone; partial
Technical term in music acoustics referring to a component of a complex tone; a single frequency component of a sound spectrum.
楽器の音色は、基音と部分音の組み合わせで決まる。
The timbre of a musical instrument is determined by the combination of the fundamental and partial tones.
基音 (fundamental tone) is the lowest frequency partial and the perceived pitch of a musical note; 部分音 is any component, including the fundamental.
Compound of 部分 (part, portion) and 音 (sound, tone). A straightforward technical term formed from existing Sino-Japanese morphemes.