10

Timbre

Timbre is the unique quality of a sound, sometimes referred to as its tone color.  It is determined primarily by the object that produces the sound.  Composers can specify a specific timbre by indicating the instrument(s) for which they are writing.

Music for a melody instrument such as a violin or a trumpet is written on one staff.  Music written with two or more staves are called scores.  Keyboard instruments require two staves--one for the right hand and one for the left hand. This would be called a piano score (or as previously discussed, a grand staff).

A composition for an instrumental trio, for example, would use three staves, all joined by a brace, indicating that all the parts are played simultaneously.  The following example is a score for three instruments:  two violins and a viola.

			String trio score