Exploring Vocal Timbre In Music

Everyone cannot have the same body and that’s a fact! Some are tall, some are chubby, some have a pear-shaped body, some with triangle shaped ones and the list goes on. Likewise, every sound in music is not the same and this is also a fact! For instance, each one of us on this planet has a different voice quality. Confused yet?

Come on, let’s read into what Timbre in music is with some examples of Timbres in music, Timbre vs tone: Key differences explained and some tools to analyze overtones in music in this blog.

What is the meaning of timbre?

One could say, Timbre is the ‘distinctive quality’ of a ‘sound’. This quality makes it possible to differentiate the tons of sounds that we hear even if they have the same pitch. Let me make it more simpler, the note C played on a piano is different from guitar or a flute or human voice, isn’t it? That is because of the differences in Timbre or from the structures of overtones vs harmonics, explained in the forthcoming sections.

What are the examples of timbres in music?

Timbre in Music means ideas in which we recognise and identify different sounds,  no matter its source, i.e, voice or a musical instrument or even an electronically produced sound. To make this concept more clearer, here are some of the examples of Timbres in music.

Piano

The sound produced by piano is bright when played in the upper register and bass notes have a warm and kind of full Timbre.

Percussion instruments

Most percussion instruments produce sharp (snare), deep (bass), sort of bright (cymbals) sounds.

Flute

The flute has rather a husky or airy and light Timbre made for clear, soft yet bright melodies.

I hope these examples of Timbres in music gives you a fair idea of how the concept of Timbre works in music. Moving on to understand more about Timbre vs Tone: Key differences explained in depth. These two terms often get confused. Let me assure you that they are different.

Timbre vs Tone: key differences explained here!

Timbre is the unique quality of a sound while Tone relates to the character of a sound. Furthermore, differences in how a sound is heard even if the instruments or voices play the same pitch makes Timbre different from a Tone. Basically, a Timbre is shaped by the concepts of overtones, resonance and even the materials with which an instrument is made. More into Timbre Vs Tone: Key Differences, explained as follows. 

On the other hand, Tone is shaped by the concepts of pitch and the intensity of the sound produced by an instrument. Yet another point to remember is that Tone gives an idea about the emotional quality of a sound. Be it sad or happy or anger, it’s the tone that lets us know the character of any sound. 5 key differences between Timbre and Tone.

What is vocal timbre?

So we have read enough about examples of Timbre in music and looked into 5 key differences between Timbre and tone. Let’s now focus on Vocal Timbre and have Overtones vs Harmonics explained in the rest of this text. 

Here comes ‘What is Vocal Timbre?’

It is the distinct quality or the colour of the sound produced by the human voice. No person on this planet can have the exact same Timbre. They can be close but not the same. It’s just the way how human fingerprints are modified. Words like Overtones, Harmonics get thrown around a lot when it comes to Vocal Timbre. Before having Overtones vs Harmonics explained, let’s look at what shapes up Vocal Timbres.

Factors such as,

Vocal anatomy

Precisely, vocal anatomy refers to the structure of your Vocal Chords.

Resonance

Your vocal tract’s size, i.e, the resonance it produces, contributes to amplifying the sound produced.

Vocal techniques

There are different Vocal techniques to practice including voice registers i.e, head, chest and falsetto voices.

Emotions

Different expressions and emotions can directly impact how your voice sounds, primarily contributing to shaping up Vocal Timbre.

Overtones Vs Harmonics explained here!

What is an overtone in music?

Basically, when we sing a note, it has a certain frequency. Other frequencies also accompany the specific frequency which can be higher or lower, slightly different. So, any frequency that occurs above the primary frequency is called an Overtone in music. 

Overtones had a big influence on the uniqueness of a sound or the Timbre.

What is harmonics?

Harmonics is part of an overtone. Basically, harmonics are the pitches that naturally come with the primary pitches or the Tones when we sing a note. 

For example, let’s assume that the primary frequency of a note is 100 Hz, its 1st Harmonics (primary) is 100 Hz, 2nd Harmonics (octave) is 200 Hz, 3rd Harmonics (fifth above the second) is 300 Hz.

Moving on to have Overtones vs Harmonics explained now.

Overtones and Harmonics are related concepts and yet they have few differences just like how Timbre vs tone: Key differences explained above in the blog. Overtones are the higher frequencies accompanying the fundamental frequency of a tone while Harmonics are the Overtones that naturally accompany the fundamental frequencies. Harmonics influence the richness of a sound while overtones influence the character of a sound.

Tools to analyze overtones in music

There are a few tools and softwares to identify Overtones in music. Let’s look into some of the tools to analyze overtones in music in brief.

Spectral analysis software

• Spek: Spek is an open source software, which shows the analysis of audio files with a spectrogram. The spectrogram shows the codec names, fundamental frequencies of overtones and other audio signal parameters of an audio on an image format.
• Audacity: This is also an open source audio editing software with a spectrum analysing feature (The volume between vocal tracks can be adjusted to the instruments and with other audio tracks as well). The software produces the analysis of a sound including its overtones on a waveform.
• MeldaProduction’s M Analyzer: Melda Production was founded in the year 2008, by Vojtech Meluzin and is based in Prague, Czech Republic. This is a powerful plugin which helps us in real-time spectral analysis of different frequencies all at once.
• FuzzMeasure: The software is used to analyse the audio hardware frequencies and the acoustics. The analysis is shown in graph mode which can measure frequency response, group delay and harmonic distortion.
• Adobe Audition: Yet another one of tools to analyze overtones in music is a professional grade software used for audio editing and spectral analysis. It also aids in recording and manipulating multiple audio tracks. You can also analyze the spectral frequencies of an audio file using this software.
  

Real-time audio analyzers

• iZotope RX: This audio software is a restoration and repairing tool which uses a spectral analyser to differentiate the sounds and is one of the handy tools to analyze overtones in music. Professionals use this software to remove clicks, hum and background ambient noises from an audio track.
• Waves PAZ Analyzer: It is a real-time analyzer plugin that provides detailed views of the sound spectrum, it also provides flexible export format options.

Online tools

• Sound Analyzer (Online): There are multiple web based popular spectral analysis tools like Wavelet or Audio Test Tone Generator, which helps you to visualise overtones and harmonic structure of sounds which can be visualised and manipulated according to one’s own purpose.
• Tuning Forks & Harmonic Analyzers: These analysers are found on app stores which helps us to visualise harmonics in real time. It may not produce desired detailed output of a sound but quick analysis can be made using it.

Hardware tools

• FFT Analyzers: There are real time FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analyzers which are predominantly used by sound engineers to analyse the real time visualization of harmonics, overtones along with acoustics. These are even available as software formats in recent times. 
• Signal Analyzers: Hardware signal analyzers can visualize the spectral content of an audio signal. These signals are used to measure gain, noise, phase, occupied signal bandwidth and adjacent channel power.

Digital audio workstations (DAWs)

• Logic Pro X: This particular workstation is a high level professional software and one of the best tools to analyze overtones in music. They provide advanced spectral analyzers where you can understand the frequency of a sound such as the EQ (Equalization) with spectral view and you can also use certain third party plugins like FabFilter Pro-Q for advanced analysis. They also help you with tools like  virtual instruments, powerful MIDI (Musical instrument digital interface) editors and loops. 
• Ableton Live: This is another German based software which helps you analyse the sound frequencies. It is also an post-production software which provides tools to manipulate the desired music of any composer. 
• Pro Tools: This is another post production tool developed by Avid Technology. They provide options with sound effects, create sound design and also mixing.

7 ways timbre affects music perception

Timbre plays an important role in shaping up the experience of hearing a sound. These 7 ways Timbre affects music perception.

• Timbre is the way in which different instruments can be identified even when they play the same note.
  
• Timbre modulates the emotional flow in a sound.
  
• Different Timbres affect the way we perceive Dynamics of a sound.
  
• Timbre helps us identify the texture of music.
  
• Interestingly, Timbre affects the perception of positioning of sounds in spaces.
  
• Timbre plays a major role in harmonic overtones of a sound.
  
• The precision of a sound is controlled by Timbre.

Closing thoughts

Whether it’s the bright crispiness of a percussion instrument or a sharp clarity of a piano or the husky bright sound of a voice, it is the Timbre that helps the listeners experience the fullness of music. Fix a Free Demo with musicmaster to learn and cherish such topics of music.

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