Elements of Music

Timbre

• Timbre is the quality of a musical sound or tone. • It allows us to hear variations between different types of sound production, such as different voices and musical instruments.

• In simple terms, timbre is what makes a particular musical sound different from another, even when they have the same pitch and loudness.

Why do we hear Timbre?

• Every instrument or voice has its own timbre. For example, a metal instrument sounds different from a wooden one, and hitting the top of a drum sounds different from strumming a guitar.

• Timbre is caused by the fact that each note from a musical instrument is a complex wave containing more than one frequency.

• We hear each mixture of frequencies not as separate sounds, but as the color of the sound, or the timbre.

How to describe Timbre…

• Many words are used to describe timbre. Some are somewhat interchangeable, and some may have slightly different meanings for different musicians, so no attempt will be made to provide definitions. Here are a few words commonly used to describe either timbre or tone quality: Reedy Clear Breathy Piercing Warm Resonant Heavy or Light Brassy Focused or unfocussed Rounded Harsh Mellow Dark or Bright Flat

Describe the Timbre…

•

“They Can’t Take That Away From Me” – Peggy Lee

•

“Crack the Shutters” – Snow Patrol