The spectrogram below is a visualization of the note A2, which vibrates at 220 Hz, triggering a single sine wave oscillator. The spectrogram in Insight 2 visualizes these characteristics over time, which makes it easy to compare and contrast common timbres in music and learn what makes them different from one another. Our perception of timbre relies on two key physical characteristics of sound: frequency spectrum and envelope. Since words can only do so much to describe timbre, in this article, we will rely on visual aid from Insight 2’s spectrogram-a tool that shows us what sound looks like-to get a better understanding of timbre, how it works, and how it can be used to improve the music we make. It’s a catchall category for the features of sound that are not pitch, loudness, duration, or spatial location, and it helps us judge whether what we’re listening to is a piano, flute, or organ. Timbre refers to the character, texture, and colour of a sound that defines it.
Some of these are pretty straightforward, like pitch and loudness, while others are not as easily pinned down by mathematical equation or note names.
Whether we’re at a concert or listening over headphones, we rely on a series of musical factors to distinguish the instruments we’re hearing and whether they are electronic, acoustic, or human.