Music theory basics · updated 2026-08-16

TIMBRE

The character that lets you tell a trumpet from a saw wave at the same pitch and loudness. It comes from harmonic content and how it changes over time.

Close-up of handwritten sheet music and a pencil on a piano music desk

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for timbre — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material.

Stanford CCRMA — spectral audio (opens in a new tab)
UC Berkeley CNMAT (opens in a new tab)

RELATED TERMS IN MUSIC THEORY BASICS

Time signature
Syncopation
Harmony vs melody
Transposition
Cents
Octave
Semitone and whole tone
Equal temperament

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