timbre
theoryTAM-ber
The unique quality or color of a sound that distinguishes one instrument from another.
Timbre (pronounced TAM-ber) is what makes a trumpet sound different from a violin playing the same note at the same volume. It is determined by the complex mixture of overtones (harmonics) that accompany the fundamental frequency, plus the instrument's attack, decay, and resonance characteristics.
Every instrument and voice has a unique timbre, shaped by its physical construction, playing technique, and the material it is made from. Orchestration — the art of assigning music to different instruments — is essentially the art of combining timbres. Composers like Ravel, Debussy, and Rimsky-Korsakov were masters of orchestral colour, creating vivid sonic landscapes through their command of timbre.