Tone Colour 4j6t63

TONE COLOUR/TIMBRE Definition: Sound of a musical instrument/piece e.g. piercing, eerie, rich, harsh, bright, dark, mellow

STRINGS (violin, viola, violincello and double bass) Violin

-

Highest range Very bright

Viola

-

Range is somewhat lower Is darker, thicker and a little less brilliant than the violin

-

Violincello

-

Double bass

-

Rich, warm, lower Bright, brilliant higher

Lowest range Very heavy tone and is less agile than other string instruments

String Pizzicato – plucked string Double stop – two notes at once Vibrato – a rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing or playing some musical instruments, producing a stronger or richer tone Mute – a device fitted to a musical instrument to alter the sound produced: by affecting the timbre, reducing the volume Tremolo – a wavering effect in a musical tone, produced by rapid reiteration of note, by rapid repeated variation in pitch of a note Harmonics – very high-pitched tones like a whistle

WOODWIND (piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon) Flute

-

Piccolo

-

Oboe

-

High range and is extremely agile Capable of producing rapid successions of tones Tone is full and velvety in low High is bright and sparkling High is shrill and whistlelike

Nasal, intense, expressive tone Pitch is difficile to adjust, the entire orchestra is tuned to it’s A

English horn (neither English nor horn)

-

A low, or alto, oboe

Clarinet

-

Can produce tones very rapidly Wide range of dynamics and tone colour

Bassoon

-

Deeply nasal tone

Contrabassoon

-

Lowest range

Others Recorder is like a flute and piccolo, it has no reed. Tone resembles the flute’s but is softer and gentler Saxophone – rich, husky and speechlike tone

BRASS (trumpet, French horn, trombone and tuba) Trumpet

-

Brilliant, brassy tone

French horn

-

Less brassy More mellow More rounded than trumpets

Trombone

-

Combines trumpet’s brilliance with French horn’s mellowness

Tuba

-

Thick heavy tone – adds weight to the lowest orchestral

PERCUSSION Timpani

-

Deep, slightly boomy sound yet melodic (nothing like a bass drum)

Xylophone

-

Dry, wooden tone

Glockenspiel

-

Bright and silvery

Celesta

-

Tinkling and graceful

Chimes

-

Church bells

DEFINITE PITCH Timpani (kettledrums) Xylophone Glockenspiel Celesta Chimes

All instruments listed above are in orchestras All images are from Google Images

INDEFINITE PITCH Snare drum (side drum) Bass drum Tambourine Triangle Cymbals Gong (tam-tam)