Timbre

Two sounds at the same pitch can sound very different: that is timbre.

A note played on a piano and the same note on a flute share the same fundamental frequency. What sets them apart is how the energy is spread across the harmonics and how it changes over time.

Basic waveforms illustrate this well: the sine has no harmonics (very soft), the triangle and the square have only odd harmonics (hollow), the sawtooth has them all (bright and rich).

Learning to name these differences builds the vocabulary you will later use for EQ: "hollow", "bright" and "soft" describe how harmonics are distributed.

Listen for

The softness of the sine, with no edge at all.
The hollow, slightly nasal character of the square.
The brightness of the sawtooth, with a slight buzz.

The classic mistake

Confusing timbre with loudness: a brighter sound often seems louder. Compare at equal level, as the game does.

Put it into practice

Timbre recognition · Discovery

Timbre recognition

The lesson is complete when the level is passed (35/50).