Timbre is a subjective assessment of a particular sound, due to which those that have the same pitch and intensity differ from each other.
The word "timbre" comes from the French timbre, which in direct translation into Russian means a bell, or a distinctive feature. Timbre is the hallmark of any instrument or voice.
Timbre is the so-called sound coloration. It is a characteristic of sound quality due to which two tones of the same pitch and strength, produced by different instruments or voices, differ from each other.
Timbre Research History
In 1913, the famous German physicist Hermann Helmholtz in his study "The Study of Sound Sensations" established that each vowel contains one or two regions of special enhanced overtones - the characteristics of the tone of vowels included in the sound spectrum. The physicist proved that due to differences in tone characteristics, vowels differ from each other.
The sound of some musical bodies, for example, a bell or a record, is accompanied by excellent overtones from the sound of wind and string instruments preferred in classical music. However, in the latter, various intensification or weakening of various overtones produces a change in timbre.
The difference in timbres of human voices depends both on the vocal cords themselves and on the resonance conditions in the oral cavity. Also, the influence on the tone of the human voice is produced by countless gradations of vowels, which produce various modifications of the timbre.
In the research of the German professor Karl Schaffgetl on acoustic and musical instruments "Ueber Schall, Ton, Knall und einige andere Gegenstände der Akustik" it is proved that the material from which the musical instrument is made has a great influence on the timbre. So, for example, the sound of a violin made of spruce will differ from the sound of exactly the same violin made of maple.
Molecular structure plays an important role in the differences in timbre caused by the material of the instrument. For example, organ makers have known for many centuries that the principal pipes made of lead or tin, or the body of the tongue pipes made of zinc or tin, play a key role in the sound of the instrument.
Basic tone parameters
The main objective parameters that determine the listener's assessment are the sound spectrum and the nature of the transient overtone processes. Also, the timbre of the perceived sound is influenced by the conditions of its reproduction, the psychological state of the listener, individual characteristics of hearing and even musical taste.