Tämbr

Tämbr is a term that refers to the characteristic quality of a sound, particularly a musical note or voice. It is often described as the timbre, tone color, or tone quality. Tämbr is what distinguishes different types of sound production, such as voices and musical instruments, even when they are producing the same pitch and loudness.

The perception of tämbr is determined by a complex interplay of physical properties of the sound wave. These include the harmonic content, which refers to the presence and relative intensity of overtones above the fundamental frequency. The attack and decay of a sound, meaning how it begins and fades away, also contribute significantly to its perceived tämbr. For example, a piano note has a sharp attack and a gradual decay, while a plucked string might have a more immediate decay.

Different instruments and voices have distinct tämbrs due to their unique construction and the way sound is produced. A violin's tämbr, for instance, is different from a trumpet's, even when playing the same note at the same volume. Similarly, a soprano's voice has a different tämbr than a baritone's. Music theorists and acousticians study tämbr to understand sound production, analyze musical compositions, and develop new instruments and audio technologies. It is a fundamental aspect of what makes sound rich and expressive.