Question

How does quality (Timbre) help us differentiate between a sound having same loudness and pitch?

Answer 1

Dear Student,


Sound is mainly characterized by pitch, loudness and Quality (Timbre). In simple terms it can be associated to the pleasantness of the sound. A sound that is more pleasant to our ears is said to be of high quality than another sound even when both have the same pitch and loudness.

Consider situations having string instruments like guitar, veena, violin etc. playing the same notes with same pitch and loudness. Even then they will sound differently. This is due to the difference in quality of the sounds.

In advanced terms it can be said the quality varies according to the harmonic contents as well as the dynamic characteristics such as vibrato of the sound.




Hope the explanation could clarify things a bit for you.




Regards