Understanding music
Tone colour (timbre)
Every sound has a distinctive tone or timbre. The sound of a trumpet is different to the sound of a marimba or shakuhachi. The sound of an acoustic guitar is very different to the sound of an electric guitar.
The voice is every person’s unique instrument, just as we have unique fingerprints and DNA. Our hearing for difference in tone of voices is so honed that we can distinguish who is speaking on the phone.
Tone colour is affected by:
- the materials an instrument is made from
- the structure of the instrument
- the way the instrument is played
The sound a listener hears is also impacted by the sound environment in which the instrument is played and the individual listener’s perception of it.
Each distinctive sound has its own sound wave structure. Unique sounds can be altered in many DAWs (digital audio workstations) by drawing a different shape or coding a shape.
Activities
Ask students to research the sounds of two different instruments, such as, trumpet and marimba, shakuhachi and flute, acoustic and electric guitars. Prompt them to create an infographic about the instruments, including identifying the qualities of sound (high, low, mellow, screechy, piercing, eerie, woody), the materials used to make the instrument, different versions and where/when they might be found. Students share their findings and discuss their opinions about the qualities of sound.
Ask students to experiment to identify and document three diverse sounds that an instrument can make. For example, a drum might produce ‘metal’, ‘wooden’ and ‘skin’ sounds. Students create a visual image of each sound. This could use colour, shape, line or texture but needs to ‘describe’ the sound rather than the instrument. Students then describe what their thinking was that led to the images they created for each sound.
Gamelan & Dances, Peliatan, Ubud - Bali, Indonesia
Australian Didgeridoo
Orchestral Instruments Use the MSO Learn app to explore the instruments in a symphony orchestra and more.
Soundscapes Ros Bandt is an Australian sound artist. This site takes the listener to natural and man-made sounds and a combination of the two.
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