While playing with a violin with my friend, they told me plucking at just any position will produce the "wrong" sound, and to achieve the sound desired for the piece you must pluck at a specific point on the string (about a half inch below where the fingerboard ends). I did not believe her, as surely plucking a string tightened to play a certain frequency and amplitude will not play a different frequency or amplitude based purely on what position on the string you pluck.
Now, playing with my guitar I realize that possibly the difference in sound is caused by a shift in the position of the wave. While it is an interesting idea, it feels wrong at a fundamental level.
So, why does playing a string instrument at different positions along the string cause different sounds to be produced?
