1. What instrument do you hear?
Listen carefully!

2. Timbre
Pronounced “tam-bur”

3. Timbre Pronounced “tam-bur” The sound of an instrument is its timbre.
The timbre of something is what makes a particular sound unique from another sound.
Example: a guitar has a different timbre than a piano.

4. How do instruments make sounds?
Read page 68:
“Each instrument has its own special sound, or timbre. To make a sound on most wind instruments, the player blows air into the instrument, causing the air to vibrate. The string instrument’s sound is made by vibrating strings.”
The way an instrument makes sound affects its timbre.

5. How do instruments make sounds?
Clarinet, oboe, bassoon and saxophone:
Reeds vibrate and create the sound.
Flute:
Air blown through the tone hole vibrates.
Strings:
Vibrate when plucked, strummed, or bowed.
Percussion:
Instruments are struck so they vibrate.

6. Allegro Molto from Quartet
Listen to this woodwind quartet.
What instruments do you hear?
What instrument is missing?

8. Descriptive Words for Timbre
soft hollow thin smooth liquid sweet rich warm mellow airy mellow deep dark full gentle reedy (reed instruments) nasal harsh brilliant bright rough brassy (brass instruments) round fat
Pitch: high, medium high, medium low, low.

9. Woodwind and Brass Families

10. The String Family

11. Describe the timbre
Using a piece of paper, write what family the instrument is in and write a description of the instrument’s timbre.

12. The End