Sound Color / Timbre: The quality of sound that makes it unique.

Descriptions of sound color are subjective. Here are some good adjectives to get you started:

• Bright, Sharp, Mellow, Hard, Dull, Cold, Warm, Dark, Hollow, Smooth, Soft, Noisy, Clear, Clean, Pure, Dirty, Sweet, Sour, Strong, Open, Close, Light, Heavy, Thick, Thin, Big, Small

Different instruments have different sound qualities. You will be expected to recognize different instruments. To do this you will need to listen a lot to start to hear the differences. As we watch the following videos make some notes about each instrument in the blank spaces below.

Woodwinds

• Piccolo:
• Flute:
• Oboe:
• Clarinet:
• Bassoon:
• English horn:
• Saxophone:

Strings

• Violin:
• Viola:
• Cello (Violoncello):
• Double bass (Contrabass):
• Harp:

Brass

• French horn:
• Trumpet:
• Trombone:
• Tuba:

Percussion

• Timpani (kettle drum):
• Gran cassa (bass drum):
• Piatti (cymbals):
• Tambourine:
• Triangle:
• Snare drum (side drum):
• Chinese block (woodblock or temple block):
• Xylophone:
• Castanets:
• Gong:
• Whip (slapstick):
• Chimes: