nonpitch

Nonpitch is a term used in music and audio contexts to describe sounds, instruments, or parts that do not produce a definite pitch. In practice, it is closely associated with the concept of unpitched sound. Nonpitch sounds may have a broad or evolving frequency content, or they may be short transients whose spectral content does not align with a specific musical note.

In musical instrumentation, nonpitch (or unpitched) percussion includes drums, cymbals, tambourines, and other instruments whose primary function is rhythm or texture rather than melody. While some instrument families include both pitched and nonpitched members, the label nonpitch helps distinguish rhythm-focused sounds from tonal instruments such as the piano, violin, or xylophone. Snare drums, tom-toms, bass drums, and many electronic percussive sounds are typically treated as nonpitched.

In notation and arrangement, nonpitch parts are often represented without fixed pitch assignments. Rhythmic patterns are conveyed on percussion staff lines or through standard drum notation, emphasizing timing, dynamics, and articulation rather than definite pitches.

In digital audio and synthesis, sounds labeled as nonpitch indicate that the sample or synthesized output is not tuned to a musical scale. These sounds are common for texture, impact hits, noise textures, and other effects where pitch specificity is not desired or necessary.

See also: unpitched percussion, pitched percussion, percussion, timbre. Note that in some disciplines, the term nonpitch is used informally as a synonym for unpitched, while others prefer the more common term unpitched.