Timbre

ELI5 - A piano and a violin can play the same note but their sound differs; you can tell them apart. How do notes differ with each instrument, but retain the characteristics of its assigned pitch?

Sounds are mainly characterized by pitch, loudness, and quality. Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is, based on the frequency of sound waves. Loudness is simply the volume of the sound. Timbre, or the quality of sound, is what makes different instruments like a piano and a violin sound distinct, even if they play the same note at the same pitch and loudness. It includes elements like harmonic content, attack, decay, and vibrato, which affect the sound's texture without altering its pitch or loudness.

Key factors in timbre are attack—the way a sound begins and reaches full volume—and overtones, which are additional frequencies present along with the main pitch. While you mainly hear the fundamental frequency or pitch of a note, overtones add depth and richness, creating the unique character of each instrument. So, when a piano and a violin play the same note, what makes them sound different are these subtle variations in how the sound starts, its overtones, and the changes in loudness throughout the note.

By drollparadox7655 1 year ago