Timbre

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/timbre

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is timbre?Timbre is the special sound quality that makes each instrument sound unique, like the "color" of a sound.
2. Why can we tell a trumpet from a flute even if they play the same note?Because their timbres are different. A trumpet has many strong overtones, while a flute mainly uses its main tone with fewer, weaker overtones.

Harmonic Spectrum: The collection of fundamental frequency and its overtones, defining the unique color of a sound.
Temporal Envelope: The way a sound's amplitude changes over time (attack, decay, sustain, release).
Psychoacoustics: The scientific study of how humans perceive sound and its physical properties.