How do you pronounce Timbre?

Timbre is pronounced "TAM-ber (or TIM-ber)".

Timbre

The characteristic quality of a sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.

About Timbre

Timbre (also called tone colour) is what makes a flute sound different from a trumpet even when both play the same pitchPitchThe perceived highness or lowness of a sound, determined by its frequency.View full entry → at the same volume. It is determined by the overtoneOvertoneA higher frequency that sounds simultaneously above a fundamental pitch, shaping the tone colour of…View full entry → series — the specific pattern and relative strength of harmonics above the fundamentalFundamentalThe lowest frequency in a harmonic series, perceived as the main pitch of a note.View full entry → frequencyFrequencyThe number of sound-wave vibrations per second, measured in hertz, that determines how high or low…View full entry →.

More fundamental terms

Dynamics

The variation in loudness between notes or phrases in a performance.

Texture

The way melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials are woven together in a composition.

Baroque

The period of Western art music spanning roughly 1600 to 1750, characterised by ornate expression, basso continuo, and the development of tonal harmony.

Aural Training

The development of musical listening skills including interval recognition and melodic dictation

Rhythm

The pattern of sounds and silences in time.

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