Timbre in AP Psychology

Definition

Timbre refers to the quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. It is often described as the "color" or "tone color" of a sound.

Related terms

Harmonics: These are additional frequencies that accompany the main frequency in a sound. They contribute to the timbre of a sound.

Overtones: Similar to harmonics, overtones are higher frequencies present in a complex sound wave. They also play a role in determining the timbre.

Spectrogram: A visual representation that displays how various frequencies change over time in a sound. It helps analyze and understand the timbral characteristics of music.