On tensioning strings tuned in octaves
What weight tightens the strings, and what tone remains
In red chalk Leonardo describes several strings tuned in octaves, one above another, each of which he wishes to draw a finger's breadth tighter than before. He asks what weight will be needed to tension them, whether they are of equal or of double thickness, and what tone will then remain. Below the writing he has drawn two diagrams, sinuous curves marked with small nodes, which the transcription does not spell out.
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Weight to tension strings tuned in octaves
Leonardo imagines strings stacked in octaves, each to be pulled a finger's breadth tighter, and asks what weight will draw them and how thickness (equal or double) changes the result. He couples the mechanical question of tension with its acoustic effect by asking what tone will remain.
Two diagrams beneath the text
Below the writing run two long sinuous curves punctuated by small looped nodes, drawn in the same red chalk. They accompany the note on strings and their tension, illustrating the study rather than carrying separate text.