Timbre allows us to distinguish between different instruments by ear. In a rehearsal, this lets a director tune in to different parts as they evaluate the sound. When transcribing music, this lets us determine the different parts that we should notate.

There are many levels of detail possible in sound-source identification. For example, it may be easy to determine whether a sound is played by a bowed string instrument or by a piano, but more challenging to distinguish between the sounds of a violin and a cello. We will focus first on distinguishing among families of instruments and then explore how to differentiate between different members of those families. The level of detail you pursue will be up to you and, if appropriate, an instructor.

If you find yourself trying to identify an instrument with which you are not familiar based purely on its sound, a good place to start is to ask yourself how the sound is being made, what the sound-producing material might be (wood, string, membrane, vibrating column), and  to identify the sound-producing action (striking, bowing, buzzing lips, a reed activated by breath). The answers to these questions may help you develop an approximate understanding of an acoustic instrument. For a synthesized/electronic instrument, this may be a useful way of making connections to acoustic instruments with similar timbres.

The Orchestra or Wind Ensemble

Within common acoustic instrumental ensembles, it is useful to first categorize sounds by instrument family and then by any additional levels  of detail you may attain. These ensembles are often divided into four families: percussion, woodwinds, brass, and strings. (Piano and harp, when included, are usually grouped with the percussion family.) Of these, percussion and strings are often the easiest to identify since they use distinct methods of creating sound: striking (percussion) and bowing (strings). Woodwinds and brass may be more difficult to distinguish from each other since both rely on breath-activated vibration; it may be helpful to read the timbre descriptions below and listen to examples of how each instrument sounds . Within each family, the relative register (higher vs. lower) can also help to distinguish instruments.

Here are some common descriptors of each instrument’s typical sound drawn from an article by Zachary Wallmark, listed roughly from higher pitch to lower  pitch.

Woodwinds

• Flute and piccolo: clear, brilliant, bright, breathy, sweet, pure. The piccolo is higher than the flute and may also be described as whistling, shrill, piercing, and edgy.
• Clarinet: rich, dark, brilliant, piercing, clear, warm, bright, pure.
• Oboe and English Horn: nasal, thin, coarse, reedy, thick. The English horn is lower than the oboe and may also be described as melancholic, rich, dark, sonorous, and deep.
• Bassoon: nasal, dark, dry, pale, reedy, pale.
• Saxophone: full, rich, horn-like, open, heavy, thick. There are different sizes of saxophones for playing in different registers and each has its own unique timbral characteristics.

Brass

• Trumpet: brilliant, full, powerful, noble, piercing, bright, clear.
• French Horn: noble, brassy, nasal, rich, dark, full, warm.
• Trombone: full, brilliant, powerful, rich, dark, solid.
• Tuba and Euphonium: smooth, round, heavy, full, mellow. The euphonium is higher than the tuba and has a sound that is still smooth and mellow but lighter and more lyrical.

Strings

• Violin: bright, brilliant, biting, soft. String quartets and symphonies typically have two separate violin parts.
• Viola: dark, rich, somber, nasal, reedy, thick.
• Cello: rich, sonorous, voice-like, warm, full.
• Bass (sometimes called “string bass” or “double bass”): dark, ponderous, rich, dignified, gloomy.

Percussion

The percussion family has a wide variety of instruments. These are some of the most common.

Pitched:

• Xylophone
• Glockenspiel
• Marimba
• Timpani (sometimes called “kettle drums”)

Unpitched:

• Snare drum
• Bass drum
• Cymbals
• Triangle
• Tambourine

Contemporary Popular Music

Contemporary popular music typically draws on a set of instruments with specified roles:

• Vocals are easy to identify and typically serve as the melody.
• The bass is typically played on an electric bass guitar, an acoustic upright bass, or using similar electronic/synthesized sounds. The timbre is often percussive/punchy, particularly on an electric bass or plucked upright bass. A bass guitar may also be “distorted,” adding noisiness into both the attack and the sustain of each pitch.
• The harmony is most often played on an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, or synthesizer. When the harmony is played or reinforced by sustained sounds with a slow, gentle attack, this part of the harmony is sometimes called a “pad.”

The beat is generally played on a drum kit, either acoustic or synthesized. The drum kit has multiple parts, differentiated by timbre:

• The bass drum, or kick drum, is low and boomy, typically does not have a clear pitch, and may be hard to distinguish from a percussive bass.
• The snare is a noisy, higher sound, sometimes replaced by a clap.
• Toms are quieter, mellower, pitched drums.
• Crash cymbals are named using an onomatopoetic word for their timbre and are typically reserved for important moments.
• Ride cymbals are typically quieter than crash cymbals and are often used consistently through a section.
• A hi-hat has two cymbals that can be moved closer or farther apart using a pedal. When the top cymbal is struck while resting on the lower cymbal, it makes a short, click-like noise. When struck while held entirely apart, the top cymbal sounds more like a ride cymbal. In between full contact and full separation, this cymbal has a range of partially dampened sounds. The pedal can also be used to snap the two cymbals together, making a sound like the closed hi-hat sound, but often a little louder.