Loudness, Pitch and Timbre

Sound has several characteristics that allow us to distinguish one sound from another. Three important characteristics are: loudness, pitch, and timbre.

Loudness tells us how strong or weak a sound appears to the listener. It is mainly related to the **amplitude** of the sound wave. Greater amplitude generally means more sound intensity and a louder perceived sound.

Pitch tells us whether a sound seems high or low. Pitch is mainly related to **frequency**. High frequency → high pitch. Low frequency → low pitch.

**Timbre** is the quality or character of a sound that allows us to distinguish between different sources even when they have the same pitch and similar loudness. For example, the same musical note played on a piano and violin sounds different because their waveforms and harmonic content are different.

Amplitude controls mainly loudness. Frequency controls mainly pitch. Waveform/harmonic mixture strongly influences timbre.