Module II: Analysis of Timbre

Teaching Timbre Topics
Written By Timbre and Orchestration Resource

Teaching and Learning | Teaching Timbre Topics | Module II

Analysis of Timbre

About these modules

Modules created by: Lena Heng and Kelsey Lussier
Edited by: Stephen McAdams, Bob Hasegawa, Kit Soden
Web version designed by Mitra Khodadadi
More info at the Teaching Timbre Topics project can be found here.

Timbre is present in every facet of music, including orchestration, listening to and analyzing music, and musical performance. However, despite its status as a fundamental element of music creation, production, performance, and consumption, timbre has oftentimes been glossed over in music teaching. These modules aim to fill the lacuna in music syllabi, providing resources for use in music teaching.

These modules have been created from course syllabi generously shared with the Teaching Timbre Topics Team, created by Jennifer Beavers, Landon Morrison, Robert Hasegawa, Stephen McAdams, Judy Lochhead, Emily Dolan, Megan Lavengood, and Lindsey Reymore & Matthew Zeller. Many of these syllabi are available in full on ACTOR’s Timbre and Orchestration Resource website.

Acknowledgements

These modules have been created from course syllabi generously shared with the Teaching Timbre Topics Team by Jennifer Beavers, Landon Morrison, Robert Hasegawa, Stephen McAdams, Judy Lochhead, Emily Dolan, Megan Lavengood, and Lindsey Reymore & Matthew Zeller. Many of these syllabi are available on ACTOR’s Timbre and Orchestration Resource website.
Thank you all for your contributions!

Module II: Analysis of Timbre

General goals for this module:

  1. To become familiar with, apply, and evaluate approaches to analyzing timbre and its uses in musics of various genres, styles, and cultures.

  2. Additionally: to do so from various perspectives (I.e., the music theorist, the music cognition/perception researcher, the composer, the conductor, the performer, the ethnomusicologist, the student, the general public listener, etc.)

  3. To provide an overview of the historical, current, and developing tools for analyzing timbre using multiple approaches and technologies (e.g., listening-based approaches, score-based approaches, graphic representations of timbre, software technologies, etc.)

This second module, Analysis of Timbre, is divided into four large sub-sections. The first is Context and Framing, which includes preparatory and contextualizing materials that are necessary for understanding various approaches to analyzing timbre. Its topics are more abstract and consider theoretical approaches and methodological issues in timbre research. The second is Concepts and Analytical Tools, which includes topics on tools that are used to analyze musical timbre and how they are conceptualized. The topics in this sub-section focus on ways in which timbre is described from various academic perspectives. The third sub-section focuses on methods and examples of sound-based analysis in both art and popular music from theoretical and perceptual/cognition-based perspectives. It also explores different ways in which timbres can be represented using various technology. The final sub-section, called “Timbre in Context” focuses on how the ways performers (or practitioners) and listeners conceive of and perceive these musical elements differ based on their knowledge and experience and can offer insights into the various ways in which the musics of different traditions might be described, talked about, and/or analyzed. 

2.1 Context & Framing

This sub-module provides the context and framing that is necessary to understand approaches to analyzing timbre. The purpose of this sub-module is to provide students with the necessary grounding for them successfully analyze musical timbre themselves.

Keywords: Theorizing timbre, analyzing timbre, methodology

Central problem and goals: This sub-module explores some historical and foundational texts that contribute to the way we look at, define, and understand timbre.  In order to effectively analyze timbre, it is essential to understand its many historical conceptualizations within music theoretical and analytical literature. Furthermore, it is necessary to become familiar with and evaluate established methodologies for analyzing timbre and the timbral qualities of musical sounds. This section therefore prepares students for analyzing timbre by addressing central questions such as:

- How has timbre been theorized historically?

- What are the primary established methodologies for analyzing timbre and how did they come about?

- What have been (and continue to be) the primary methodological challenges for analyzing timbre? Why do they persist?

Keywords: Secondary parameter, music theory, analyzing timbre, theorizing timbre, methodology

Objectives

- To evaluate historical concepts of timbre from a music theoretical perspective

- To evaluate methodological approaches to analyzing timbre

- To understand the standard approaches to conceptualizing timbre for analytical purposes

Topics & Resources

Historical conceptions of timbre in music theoretical & analytical discourses

This topic explores the treatment and role of timbre from a historical perspective within music theory and analysis. Its aim is to exemplify and contextualize music-analytic treatments of timbre.

 

Key Resources

Additional resources

 

Theorizing Timbre

The resources in this topic include examples of timbre theorized for the purpose of analysis in a modern context, as well as abstract discussions that unpack and evaluate methods to theorize timbre for analytical purposes

 

Key Resources:

Additional Resources:

 
 
 

Methodological issues in timbre research and analysis

This topic engages with literature that critically reviews the main methodological issues in timbral research and analysis.  

 

Key resources:

Additional resources:

 
 
 

Activities

Discussions

  • Compare the theorization of timbre in Leonard Meyer’s “A Universe of Universals” to Lee Tsang’s observations and suggestions in “Towards a Theory of Timbre for Music Analysis”. In what ways do these authors agree and disagree? Do you see elements of these approaches in recently published analyses of timbre?

  • How do you think timbre should be theorized and used in music analysis? How have analytically focused conceptions of timbre changed over time?

  • To what extent does theorizing timbre for music analytical purposes differ from definitions of timbre intended for research in music perception and cognition? To what extent do conceptualizations of timbre in these fields interact with each other?

  • Group discussion based on Rebecca Leydon’s “Clean as a Whistle”—in groups, discuss how Leydon theorizes timbre and how she applies this theory in her analysis. Is her analysis convincing? Does her theorization/application overlook anything? If so, suggest some potential solutions/alternative approaches.

Assignments & Projects:

2.2 Concepts and Analytical Tools

The purpose of this second sub-module is to equip students with the most common and useful analytical tools for approaching an analysis of timbre. These tools are rooted in multiple research perspectives, including both music theory and music perception/cognition. Furthermore, the topics in this sub-module span multiple repertoires. This sub-module will help students conceptualize timbre and provide them with the tools they need to successfully carry out an independent timbral analysis.

Keywords: Timbre semantics, timbral frameworks, timbral classification systems, theories of timbre

Central problem and goals: Given that much of music analysis involves translating musical intuitions and experiences into natural language, it is essential to be able to describe the timbral properties of a sound (i.e., via timbral semantics), whether/how these properties transform over musical time, their function(s) and effect(s) within the music, etc. Clearly codified musical information such as pitch and rhythm have a common lexicon of symbols for communication. Other musical parameters such as timbre, however, do not and ways of clearly communicating such information is crucial in furthering understanding and discussion. This module aims to provide resources and ideas for examining and applying tools that enable these analytical activities, in addition to focusing on formalized (and developing) theories of timbral description and analysis.

Keywords: Timbral taxonomies, timbral typologies, timbre semantics, timbre classification systems

- To understand the tools that are currently in use for describing timbral qualities and functions within various musics

- To become familiar with many different formalized theories and tools for analyzing musical timbre

Topics & Resources

Timbral taxonomies, typologies, and descriptions

The resources within this topic include comprehensive taxonomical, typological, and descriptive approaches to analyzing timbre in both music-theoretical and music perception & cognition contexts. These studies establish abstract frameworks for describing timbral qualities and orchestrational procedures in music.

 

Key resources 

Additional Resources

 
 
 

Timbre Classification

The studies and analyses of timbral qualities of music within this topic are united by their classification-based methodological approaches. In contrast to the Taxonomies, Typologies, and Descriptions topic, the literature in Timbre Classification tends to be more local in scope, focusing on specific styles, composers, or pieces of music.

 

Key Resources

Additional Resources

 
 
 

Timbre Semantics

This topic focuses on the mechanisms of human hearing.  

 

Key Resources

  • Reymore, L. (2021). Characterizing prototypical musical instrument timbres with Timbre Trait Profiles. Musicae Scientiae, 26(3), 648–674. https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649211001523

  • Saitis, C., & Weinzierl, S. (2019). The semantics of timbre. In K. Siedenburg, C. Saitis, S. McAdams, A. N. Popper, & R. R. Fay (Eds.), Timbre: Acoustics, perception, and cognition (pp. 119–149). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14832-4_5

  • Wallmark, Z. (2019). A corpus analysis of timbre semantics in orchestration treatises. Psychology of Music, 47(4), 585–605. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735618768102

  • Wallmark, Z., & Kendall, R. A. (2018). Describing sound: The cognitive linguistics of timbre. In E. I. Dolan & A. Rehding (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of timbre. Oxford University Press. https://doi. org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190637224.013

Additional Resources 

 
 
 

Activities

Discussions 

  • Discuss how one can analyze each of these excerpts of music with respect to ideas and concepts from the readings:

    •  Maurice Ravel, Boléro (1928)

    • Kraftwerk, “Die Roboter” (1978)

    • Inanga chuchoté (“whispering song”) from Burundi

    • 1980s Pop/ Yamaha DX7 Synthesizer

  • Watch video on a survey of synth sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_zlLLezjhA, Choose one that you think is most interesting and watch that episode. Write a short summary on what was appealing about the synth sound you chose, how you explain its sound, and how the performer achieves it.

Assignments & Projects 

  • Consider the following questions and write your thoughts in response to them while intersecting your ideas with those expounded in the assigned readings and class discussions (1-2 pages, max)

    • What do we need to do sound-based analysis better?

    • What is music theory, what music do we mostly use it for, who is largely included/excluded, what would you like to see more included?

  • Listen and respond: Describe each of the pieces below, including exceptional moments or moments that grab your attention. Be sure to include the hyperlink you use to access it and a time stamp when relevant. You can search for additional information online to supplement your observations.

    • Étude aux chemins de fer, Schaeffer

    • Symphonie pour un homme seul, Schaeffer

    • Etude I, Boulez

    • Konkrete Etüde, Stockhausen

    • Poème électronique, Varèse

  • Reading response: Comment on the assigned article by Danuta Mirka in a brief response essay (400–600 words. Consider both the positive and the problematic aspects of the article and evaluate the effectiveness of this methodology in analyzing the work by Penderecki. If you like, speculate on the utility of Mirka’s analytical tools for other repertoires: what kinds of musical works might be good subjects for this approach to analysis?

2.3 Sound-based Analysis

This sub-module focuses on exemplifying (and subsequently encouraging) musical analysis based on sound, rather than notation. As such, the analyses in cited throughout the following topics apply the frameworks and theories expounded in sub-module 2.2 to music of various genres and styles. Furthermore, the topics in this sub-module guide students towards useful technologies and software programs that can be used to help analyze the timbral qualities of the musical sounds they encounter.

Keywords: Timbre in art music, timbre in pop music, cultural context, cross-cultural approaches

Central problem and goals: Much of music based around musical parameters outside of pitch and rhythm do not have a formalized notation system and analyzing these parameters in music will have to look outside of the constraints of the written score. Sound-based analysis also requires a deep consideration into how listeners perceive and process musical information. This sub-module suggests several techniques and tools that have been developed for such analyses and encourages ways of thinking about music outside of conventional methods of score-based analysis.

- To explore ways of understanding and conceptualizing music that is not necessarily reliant on a musical score.

- To evaluate methods of presenting information for clarity and concision

- To analyze music using various sound-based methods, techniques, and tools and to present analytical conclusions in a clear, concise manner.

Topics & Resources

Perceptual Principles and Music Analysis

This topic explores the intersection between perceptual and music-theoretical principles in analysis of timbre.

 

Key resources

  • Chion, M. (2019). Reflections on the sound object and reduced listening. In J. A. Steintrager & R. Chow (Eds.), Sound objects (pp. 23–32). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478002536-001

  • McAdams, S. (1989). Psychological constraints on form-bearing dimensions in music. Contemporary Music Review, 4(1), 181–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/07494468900640281

  • McAdams, S. (2019). Timbre as a structuring force in music. In K. Siedenburg, C. Saitis, S. McAdams, A. Popper, & R. Fay (Eds.), Timbre: Acoustics, perception, and cognition (pp. 211–243). Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (SHAR). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14832-4

  • McAdams, S., Depalle, P., & Clarke, E. (2004). Analyzing musical sound. In E. Clarke & N. Cook (Eds.), Empirical musicology: Aims, methods, prospects (pp. 157–196). https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195167498.003.0008

  • McAdams, S. & Goodchild, M. (2017). Musical structure: Sound and timbre. In R. Ashley & R. Timmers (Eds.), The Routledge companion to music cognition (pp. 129–139). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315194738

Additional resources

  • Barrett, N. (1999). Little animals: Compositional structuring processes. Computer Music Journal, 23(2), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1162/014892699559724

  • Brittan, F. (2011). On microscopic hearing: Fairy magic, natural science, and the Scherzo Fantastique. Journal of the American Musicological Society, 64(3), 527–600. https://doi.org/10.1525/jams.2011.64.3.527

  • Chion, M. (1994). The three listening modes. In C. Gorbman (Trans.), Audio-Vision. Columbia University Press.

  • Chion, M. (2011a). Dissolution of the notion of timbre. Differences, 22(2–3), 235–239. https://doi.org/10.1215/10407391-1428906

  • Chion, M. (2011b). Let’s have done with the notion of “noise.” Differences, 22(2–3), 240–248. https://doi.org/10.1215/10407391-1428906a

  • Chow, R. (2019). Listening after “acousmaticity”: Notes on a transdisciplinary problematic. In J. A. Steintrager & R. Chow (Eds.), Sound Objects (pp. 113–129). Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.1215/9781478002536-006

  • Cogan, R. (1984). Introduction. In New images of musical sound (pp. 1–19). Harvard University Press.

  • Cogan, R., & Escot, P. (1976). Sonic design: The nature of sound and music. Prentice Hall.

  • Cramer, A. (2002). Schoenberg’s Klangfarbenmelodie: A Principle of Early Atonal Harmony. Music Theory Spectrum, 24(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1525/mts.2002.24.1.1

  • Deliège, I. (1989). A perceptual approach to contemporary musical forms. Contemporary Music Review, 4(1), 213–230. https://doi.org/10.1080/07494468900640301

  • Dubnov, S., McAdams, S., & Reynolds, R. (2006). Structural and affective aspects of music from statistical audio signal analysis. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 57(11), 1526–1536. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.20429

  • Erickson, R. (1975). Sound structure in music. Univ of California Press.

  • Ferrer, R. F. (2011). Timbral environments: An ecological approach to the cognition of timbre. Empirical Musicology Review, 6, 64–74. https://doi.org/10.18061/1811/51213

  • Iverson, P. (1995). Auditory stream segregation by musical timbre: Effects of static and dynamic acoustic attributes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 21(4), 751–763. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.21.4.751

  • Lachenmann, H. (2003). Hearing [Hören] is defenseless—Without listening [Hören]: On possibilities and difficulties. Circuit: Musiques Contemporaines, 13(2), 27–50. https://doi.org/10.7202/902272ar

  • Landy, L. (2007). Understanding the art of sound organization. Mit Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/7472.001.0001

  • Lavengood, M. (2017). A new approach to the analysis of timbre. PhD diss. City University of New York. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2188/

  • Moscovich, V. (1997). French spectral music: An introduction. Tempo, 200, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0040298200048403

  • Paraskeva, S., & McAdams, S. (1997). Influence of timbre, presence/absence of tonal hierarchy and musical training on the perception of musical tension and relaxation schemas. International Conference on Mathematics and Computing. https://sites.music.mcgill.ca/orchestration/files/2014/10/Paraskeva_1997_ICMC.pdf

  • Pressnitzer, D., & McAdams, S. (2000). Acoustics, psychoacoustics and spectral music. Contemporary Music Review, 19(2), 33–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/07494460000640251

  • Schaeffner, A. (2020). Origins of instruments in the human body. In A. Schaeffner, R. Taylor, A. Lih, & E. Lih (Eds.), The origin of musical instruments: An ethnological introduction to the history of instrumental music (pp. 1–21). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315554921

  • Schoenberg, A. (1983). Chords with six or more tones. In R. Carter (Trans.), Theory of Harmony (pp. 418–422). University of California Press.

  • Steege, B. (2012). Refunctioning the ear. In Helmholtz and the modern listener (pp. 43–79). Cambridge University Press.  https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139057745.004

  • Sterne, J., & Tara, R. (2011). The poetics of signal processing. A Journal of Feminist Cultural Studies, 22(2–3), 31–53. https://doi.org/10.1215/10407391-1428834

  • Teodorescu-Ciocanea, L. (2003). Timbre versus spectralism. Contemporary Music Review, 22(1–2), 87–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/0749446032000134751

  • Thompson, M. (2017). The parasite and its mileau: Noise, materiality, affectivity. In Beyond Unwanted Sound: Noise, Affect, and Aesthetic Moralism (pp. 41–86). Bloomsbury Academic.

  • Touizrar, M., & McAdams, S. (2016). Perceptual facets of orchestration in The Angel of Death by Roger Reynolds: Timbre and auditory grouping. Analyse Musicale et Perception: Actes Des Journées d’Analyse Musicale. https://www.mcgill.ca/mpcl/files/mpcl/touizrar_mcadams_actes_jam_2016_en.pdf

  • Varèse, E., & Wen-Chung, C. (1966). The liberation of sound. Perspectives of New Music, 5(1), 11–19. https://www.jstor.org/stable/832385

  • Wessel, D. L. (1979). Timbre space as a musical control structure. Computer Music Journal 3(2), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.2307/3680283

 
 
 

Representations of sound and timbral qualities in analysis

From the resources in this topic, students will learn effective and diverse means of representing sounds and timbral qualities outside of Western Notation. They will also be encouraged to evaluate the efficacy of the Western Notation system in a variety of contexts.

 

Key Resources

  • De Vale, S. C. (1984). Prolegomena to a study of harp and voice sounds in Uganda: A graphic system for the notation of texture in studies in African music. In K. Nketia & J. Cogdell DjeDje (Eds.), Selected reports in Ethnomusicology (Vol. 5, pp. 285–315). University of California Press.

  • Smalley, D. (1997). Spectromorphology: Explaining sound-shapes. Organised Sound, 2(2), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355771897009059

  • Thoresen, L., & Hedman, A. (2007). Spectromorphological analysis of sound objects: An adaptation of Pierre Schaeffer’s typomorphology. Organised Sound, 12(2), 129–141. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355771807001793

Additional Resources

 
 
 

Examples of timbre-based musical analysis

The resources in this topic exemplify high-level analyses of musical timbre and the timbral qualities of musical sounds. These analyses employ vastly varied methodologies, demonstrating the wide scope of possible approaches students can take to analyzing timbre.

 

Key Resources

Additional Resources 

  • Atkinson, S. (2011). Canons, augmentations, and their meaning in two works by Steve Reich. Music Theory Online, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.30535/mto.17.1.1

  • Anderson, J. (2010). Timbre, process and accords fixes: Dutilleux and his younger French contemporaries. Contemporary Music Review, 29(5), 447–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/07494467.2010.589124

  • Bossis, B. (2000). Analyse de Mortuos plango, vivos voco de Jonathan Harvey. Base de Documentation Sur La Musique Contemporaine. http://Brahms.Ircam.Fr/Analyses/Mortuos/

  • Jenkins, D. J. (2009). 2007 Patricia Carpenter emerging scholar award: Schoenberg’s concept of “ruhende bewegung.” Theory and Practice, 34, 87–105. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41054396

  • Kreuzer, G. (2018). Gong. In Curtain, gong, steam: Wagnerian technologies of nineteenth-century opera (pp. 109–161). Univ of California Press.

  • Lorieux, G. (n.d.). Analyse de NoaNoa [Online resource]. Oeuvres Commentées Du Répertoire de l’IRCAM. https://brahms.ircam.fr/en/analyses/noanoa/

  • Moscovich, V. (1997). French spectral music: An introduction. Tempo, 200, 21–28. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0040298200048403

  • Steinitz, R. (2003). György Ligeti: Music of the imagination. Faber and Faber.

  • Stiller, A. (2007). Where’s that sound coming from? : John Cage, George Crumb, and the world of timbre. In S. Bruns & O. Ben-Amots (Eds.), George Crumb and the Alchemy of Sound: Essays on His Music (Vol. 64, pp. 72–73). Music Library Association.

  • Sullivan, T. (2008). Gérard Grisey’s Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil: Spectral music on the threshold. PhD Diss. University of Michigan. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/127064

  • Thomas, J. (1981). The use of color in three chamber works of the twentieth century. Indiana Theory Review, 4(3), 24–40. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24045949

  • Tognan, C. (1994). Leçon des choses: Analyse. In P. Hurel (Ed.), Cahiers de l’IRCAM 5 (pp. 43–70). IRCAM.

  • Touizrar, M., & McAdams, S. (2016). Perceptual facets of orchestration in The Angel of Death by Roger Reynolds: Timbre and auditory grouping. Analyse Musicale et Perception: Actes Des Journées d’Analyse Musicale. https://www.mcgill.ca/mpcl/files/mpcl/touizrar_mcadams_actes_jam_2016_en.pdf

  • Varwig, B. (2018). Early modern voices. In E. I. Dolan & A. Rehding (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of timbre (Vol. 14). Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190637224.013.32

  • Zattra, L. (2019). Symmetrical collaborations: Jonathan Harvey and his computer music designers. Nuove Musiche, 4, 29–57. https://doi.org/10.12871/97888333922572

 
 
 

Analyzing timbre and its interactions with other musical parameters

Timbre is often discussed (and even defined) in relation to other musical parameters, such as rhythm, form, texture, pitch, and harmony. The resources in this topic demonstrate the effective combination of timbre with these parameters and encourage students to further evaluate the role and place of timbre within music theoretical discourse.

 

Key Resources 

Additional Resources 

 
 
 

Activities

Discussions 

  •   Yasunao Tone - Solo for Wounded • Part I
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CEDi-39o5qw
    How does the randomized process of composition in this piece affect our perception of timbre, texture, and the passage of musical time? Discuss with your group.Discuss how the composer's utilization of timbre in the piece might relate to the concepts that have been covered on auditory perception.

Assignments and Projects

  • Rachel McInturff, “By Heart” (1996)
    “By Heart” is an electro-acoustic piece that uses pre-recorded sound that has been manipulated and added to. There are two large parts of this 10’50” piece. The second part starts at ca. 5’. Focusing on either the first or second half, take account of the timbral qualities of the sounds you hear and how they change over time, using any means you find appropriate. Be prepared to present and discuss your account of these timbres.

  • Choose 3 TV theme songs, old or new, but different from each other. List the TV show, the name of the theme (if it has one), the composer, date of composition, and hyperlink to a recording.

    • Analyze the general characteristics of the music without referring to a score; include observations about instrumentation, sound effects, timbre, character, genre, style, references, etc.

    • How do these compliment the style/character of the TV show?

    • Write your observations in whatever fashion communicates your observations best. If you do bullet points, be sure you describe, not just label, sound events including why it is relevant.

    • Be able to discuss your findings in class.

  • Eleanor Hovda, Lemniscates String Quartet, 1988 https://open.spotify.com/track/1GxzLzfyoDbn7h848dMSLm?si=9722f69ce0df47d8
    Choose a 1-minute segment of this piece and represent the timbre using whatever means you can come up with/find appropriate. Be prepared to present your representation to the class.

  • Gyorgy Ligeti, “Mysteries of the Macabre” Performance by Barbara Hannigan with the London Symphony Orchestra, Simon Rattle, conductor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Tvj83xqDw

    • Focus on two to three 1-minute sections of this piece and analyze the different inflections and timbral qualities of the singer’s voice. Take account of how the voice interacts with the orchestra, too. Use any manner(s) of representation you see fit and be prepared to discuss this with the class in small groups. Your analysis should be accompanied by a single-page summary sheet that articulates your primary observations (can be in point form).

  • Listen to “Chahar Mezrab of Isfahan,” composed and Performed by Sahba Motallebi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D804WpC1SCE
    Composer website https://sahbamusic.com/
    Information on the instrument: Tar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_(string_instrument)

    • Discuss how timbre and register interact to create texture within the piece. Are particular textural layers created? Do register and timbre help create or emphasize textural stratification or alignment? How do any timbral layers that have been formed play a role in constructing the overall form of the piece? Prepare an analysis of this piece, representing the timbres of this piece as you see fit. Your analysis should address the questions above. Be prepared to share your analysis with the class.

  •   “Certain Blacks” recorded and composed by the Art Ensemble of Chicago (1970). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqyWHaW9CaA

    • To what extent do you feel that this piece is organized around constructed melodies and progressions? To what extent do you feel that timbre is a driving and organizing force in this piece of music? Why? Choose a segment of this work (up to 5 mins in length) and produce an analytical visualization/representation of the timbral qualities in this piece and how they transform over time. Accompany your analysis with a 1-page summary sheet of your primary observations. Your analysis and summary sheet should address the questions above. Be prepared to share your analysis with the class.

  • Using spectrogram analysis software of your choice, such as Amadeus Pro, Sonic Visualiser or Acousmographe (SPEAR is not recommended for the noisy timbres of this piece), make a spectrogram of Lachenmann’s Pression. You’ll need to convert the audio file into an AIFF or WAV version before proceeding to the analysis.

    • In a short essay (500–750 words), comment on what you see in the spectrogram and any insights that this mode of visualization offers towards your understanding of the piece. Integrate into your essay at least one screenshot of an excerpt of your spectrogram (including the labels from the time and frequency axes).

    • Helmut Lachenmann, Pression (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKrkaLz6JSY

  • Choose an excerpt of 60 seconds from Natasha Barrett’s Little Animals and make a graphic analysis describing what you find most significant in the passage. You can use Thoresen’s symbols, any other existing system of analytical notation, or a symbolic vocabulary of your own devising. Your analysis doesn't need to be publication-ready: handwritten sketches are acceptable as long as they’re clear and legible. Make sure that you clearly indicate timings showing where the events that you describe fall in the piece as a whole. Upload your graphic analysis with a short accompanying text of 250–500 words (preferably as a single document), explaining your analytical findings and (if necessary) how to understand the image.
    Natasha Barrett, Little Animals (1997) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEIPHz1Ddkc

  • Péter Eötvös is a Hungarian composer. His composition Multiversum (2017) aims to capture the wholeness of the universe (including all parallel universes). He sets performers into several physical blocks in the performance space: a string section on the left, the woodwind players on the right, and percussion divided into three groups. He also chooses both the pipe organ and Hammond organ as solo instruments to make up the string section, which only has 20 players. The idea of the sonic universe may be found in Eötvös's timbral design. Please choose any one minute to produce a timbral analysis in any formats.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5zZMIhAMy

  • Listen to the first movement of Philipe Hersant's Eight Duos for Bassoon and Viola, which includes many different dialogues between the two instruments. Construct a timbral representation of both the bassoon and viola’s sound(s) in the first movement. Then, show how they interact with one another. Try completing this task without watching the video first: how does the visual of this performance affect your impression of the timbral interactions between the two instruments? Do the timbres come together or stay separate to you? Do they sound like its coming from one instrument or multiple?...etc...
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Txb5wVcqF0

  • Ari Honig, “This Little Light of Mine” on Inversations
    Consider the way this piece blurs the distinction between pitched and unpitched sounds. Do the drums work on their own as a melodic voice? Does the singing invite you to hear the drums differently? Some of you may or may not know the original tune. How do you think this knowledge (or lack thereof) influences your hearing of the piece? Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4i9aGvXMypulOodYnm5Y2a

  • Listen to Ligeti's Lux Aeterna. How does Ligeti use the human voice to create a cloud or fog of sound? How does this cloud evolve (both slowly and suddenly) over the course of the piece? Choose a 1-minute segment and produce a timbral analysis/representation that addresses these questions. Your analysis should be accompanied by a 1-page summary sheet that includes your primary observations (can be in point form). Be prepared to share your thoughts with the class.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVYu5lyX5M
    Scrolling score: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftc7JMm8B1I

  • Write a brief response essay (400–600 words) on the assigned article by Touizrar and McAdams. Note that you don't need to summarize the whole of the article: your response can focus on selected examples or the overall methodology. Listening on your own is essential: does your own hearing of these excerpts match the interpretations proposed in the article?

  • Choose one of the three movements of Varèse’s Octandre and write an analytical essay (400–600 words) discussing the timbral relationships you hear in the movement and how they contribute to local orchestral effects and/or a larger sense of form. A recording of all 3 movements can be accessed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLIOdiAzddY

Useful software

  • SPEAR (“Sinusoidal Partial Editing Analysis and Resynthesis”): downloads available for Mac and Windows

  • Amadeus Pro: downloadable for Mac only. Audio editor with useful spectrogram interface

  • Sonic Visualiser (spectrogram analysis and other tools): downloads available for Mac and Windows.

    • Sonic visualiser setup & tutorial:
      Install Sonic Visualiser, available here: https://www.sonicvisualiser.org/
      Import an audio recording of your choice (musical rather than speech-based) into Sonic Visualiser.
      The default pane that opens is a waveform. To open a spectrogram, press G (or go to Pane > Add Spectrogram). You can close out of the waveform if you like by clicking on the x in the top left of that pane.
      Change the following settings in the right-hand sidebar that appears with the spectrogram: move the knob on the right of “scale” all the way to the left/down; set window to 8192, 50%, and 2x; bins to all bins, log.
      Zoom in using the vertical scroll wheel to about halfway. If you hover over the scroll wheel, you should see a popup that says “Vertical zoom: 11025Hz.” (It’s ok if you don’t have these exact values).
      Make sure you are using the Navigate tool (hand icon), and drag your spectrogram so that the lowest frequency in your window is about 20–90Hz. 20Hz is the lower limit of human hearing, and 123Hz is the lowest note in this piece (B3—the viola uses scordatura tuning, as indicated in the score, which is in the readings folder also).

  • Online demo of Fourier series analysis/synthesis
    Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spUNpyF58BY

Central problem and goals: Since popular music is primarily a non-notated medium, listening-based techniques are well-suited to analysis of music within this style. This module aims to demonstrate that timbre plays a substantial role in popular music, and to exemplify and encourage the critical evaluation of various methods of analyzing timbre, texture, and instrumentation in pop music. Moreover, this sub-module aims to provide resources that explore how timbre and instrumentation interact with many different musical parameters in popular music, as well as the status of timbre as a musical parameter (i.e., structural vs. non-structural). Finally, this sub-module aims to lay the groundwork for exploring how timbre and instrumentation can function as key indicators/cues of genre, style, and cultural identity in popular music.

Keywords: Vocal timbre, soundbox, functional layers, pop music

Develop and evaluate techniques of sound-based analysis of timbre, texture, and instrumentation in popular music.

- Analyze interactions between timbre and other musical parameters in popular music.

- Analyze and evaluate the timbral and tone qualities of acoustic vs. digital instruments in popular music, especially with regards to style, genre, and aesthetic

- Investigate connections between timbre/tone in popular music and identity, genre, style, and aesthetics.

Topics & Resources

Vocal Timbre in Pop Music

The resources in this topic expound the many different approaches to analyzing and conceptualizing vocal timbre in pop music, across a variety of styles and genres.

 

Key resources 

Additional Resources

 
 
 

Timbre, Texture, and Instrumentation in Pop Music

This topic explores the acoustic, electric, and synthesized instrumental timbres in pop music and their many interactions.

 

Key Resources

Additional Resources

  • Berger, H., & Fales, C. (2012). “Heaviness” in the perception of heavy metal timbres: The match of perceptual and acoustic features over time. In P. Greene & T. Porcello (Eds.), Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures (pp. 181–197). Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1116

  • Brackett, D. (2000). Writing, music, dancing, and architecture in Elvis Costello’s ‘Pills and Soap’. In Interpreting Popular Music: With a New Preface by the Author (pp. 157–195). Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520925700-006

  • Fales, C. (2012). Short circuiting perceptual systems: Timbre in ambient and techno music. In P. Greene & T. Porcello (Eds.), Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures (pp. 156–180). Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1116

  • Fink, R., Wallmark, Z., & Latour, M. (2018). Introduction—Chasing the dragon: In search of tone in popular music. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 1–18). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0001

  • Moore, A. (2012). Persona. In Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song (pp. 179–214). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609898

  • Zagorski-Thomas, S. (2018). The spectromorphology of recorded popular music: The shaping of sonic cartoons through record production. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 345–366). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0016

  • Zak, A. (2018). The death rattle of a laughing hyena. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 300-322). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0014

 
 
 

Interactions Between Timbre and Other Musical Parameters in Pop Music

This topic explores the ways in which timbre interacts with other musical parameters such as form, pitch, meter, and harmony in popular music.

 

Key resources:

Additional resources:

  • Bjerke, K. Y. (2016). Timbral relationships and microrhythmic tension. In A. Danielsen (Ed.), Musical Rhythm in the Age of Digital Reproduction (pp. 86–101). London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315596983

  • Moore, A. (2012). Shape. In Song Means: Analyzing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song (pp. 19–49). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609898

  • Peres, A. (2016). The sonic dimension as a dramatic driver in 21st-century pop music. [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan]. Deep Blue Documents: University of Michigan Library. https://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/133191

  • Zeiner-Henriksen, H. (2016). Moved by the groove: Bass drum sounds and body movements in electronic dance music. In A. Danielsen (Ed.), Musical Rhythm in the Age of Digital Reproduction (pp. 121–139). London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315596983

 

Timbre, Identity, and Aesthetics in Popular Music

The resources in this topic discuss intersections of timbre with identity and aesthetics in popular music.

 

Key resources:

  • Bracket, D. (2000). When you’re lookin’ at Hank (you’re lookin’ at country). In Interpreting Popular Music: With a New Preface by the Author (pp. 75–107). Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520925700-004

  • Chion, M., & Paul, Z. (2019). Vowels/consonants: The legend of a “gendered” (sexual) difference told by cinema. In M. Feldman & J. Zeitlin (Eds.), The Voice as Something More: Essays Toward Materiality (pp. 249-274). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226656427-017

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2019). Familiarity as strangeness: Jimmy Scott and the question of timbral masculinity. In The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music. Duke University Press.

  • Greene, P. (2012). Introduction: Wired sound and sonic cultures. In P. Greene & T. Porcello (Eds.), Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures (pp. 1–22). Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1116

  • Howland, J. (2018). Hearing luxe pop: Jay-Z, Isaac Hayes, and the Six Degrees of Symphonic Soul. In R. Fink, M. Latour, and Z. Wallmark (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 185–211). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0009.

Additional resources:

  • Berger, H., & Fales, C. (2012). “Heaviness” in the perception of heavy metal timbres: The match of perceptual and acoustic features over time. In P. Greene & T. Porcello (Eds.), Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures (pp. 181–197). Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1116

  • Brackett, D. (2000). Writing, music, dancing, and architecture in Elvis Costello’s ‘Pills and Soap’. In Interpreting Popular Music: With a New Preface by the Author (pp. 157–195). Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520925700-006

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2018). “The Triumph of Jimmy Scott”: A Voice Beyond Category. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 141–158). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0007

  • Jones, A. (2019). The Duppy in the Machine: Voice and Technology in Jamaican Popular Music. In M. Feldman & J. Zeitlin (Eds.), The Voice as Something More: Essays Toward Materiality (pp. 295-307). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226656427-019

  • Malawey, V. (2020a). Prosody. In A Blaze of Light in Every Word (pp. 126–146). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190052201.003.0003

  • Malawey, V. (2020b). The Area In Between: Mediation with Technology. In A Blaze of Light in Every Word (pp. 126–146). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190052201.003.0005

  • Moore, A. (2016). Persona. In Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song (pp. 179–214). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315609898

  • Perlman, M. (2004). Golden Ears and Meter Readers: The Contest for Epistemic Authority in Audiophilia. Social Studies of Science, 34 (5), 783–807.

  • Rings, S. (2013). A Foreign Sound to Your Ear: Bob Dylan Performs “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding),” 1964–2009. Music Theory Online, 19(4). https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.13.19.4/mto.13.19.4.rings.php

 

Activities

Discussions 

  • What is status of timbre in popular music (I.e., how is it treated by analysts)? How does this compare to the analytical treatment of timbre in “art” music? Would you consider timbre to be a more structural or less structural parameter in popular music than in art music? Why?

  • In pairs, choose a published analysis that examines the relationship of timbre with another musical parameter. Discuss how the author treats timbre: is it regarded as a primary structuring element within the music, or otherwise? What about the other musical parameter: how does the author treat its interaction with timbre? How compelling do you find the match-up of these parameters and why? What remaining questions do you have after reading the article?

Assignments and Project

  • Ceate a single-page summary of one of the analyses above and be prepared to share it with the class. Ensure that you evaluate their analytical methodology and note down any remaining questions you have about the analysis after reading through it (this is not technically summary and can spill onto the next page). Suggest at least one adjustment to their analytical methodology that might answer one of your remaining questions.

  • Complete an analysis of a popular song using at least two of the analytical techniques given above. Prepare a short presentation of your analysis to share with the class.

  • This YouTube channel surveys the many different synthesizer sounds of popular artists: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6gRE6x7kQfr-MTSDqi0YTkynxNujVCl2. Choose the one that you think is most interesting and watch that episode. Write a short summary on what was appealing about the synth sound you chose, how you would explain/describe its sound, and how the performer achieves it.

Listening Exercises

  • Listen to "Hound Dog" (1952) by Big Mama Thornton. Comment on the form and functional layers.

  • Listen to "Edmund Fitzgerald" (1975) by Gordon Lightfoot.

    • How does this song's form support the intent of the lyrics?

    • What genre does this represent? What musical evidence (including timbre and instrumentation) supports this?

    • https://youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyzkYI

  • Listen to "We are the World" (1985) by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.

    • How does the song's form support the intent of the lyrics?

    • How do the various vocal timbres of the artists contribute to our perception of the song's form?

    • Does this song have the same world music problem as BandAid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" posited by Lavengood’s 2020 MTO article (“The Cultural Significance of Timbre Analysis”)?

    • https://youtube.com/watch?v=9AjkUyX0rVw

  • Listen to "Livin' on a Prayer" (1986) by Bon Jovi.

  • Choose a popular music piece of your choice that includes a moment of timbral markedness and a "novelty layer," as discussed in Lavengood's (2020) MTO article.

    • Conduct a thorough analysis of the song:

      • Include a form chart that addresses the formal components/sections. Please present this information in a table. You may find it helpful to include a separate row that has the beginning of the lyrics.

      • Label the form type at the top of the chart (AABA, Verse/Chorus, 12-bar blues, etc.)

      • Within the chart, have 5 rows for the 5 functional layers (explicit beat, functional bass, harmonic filler, melody, novelty). Describe the instrumentation and how the layers blend or segregate. Note if there are marked timbral moments and how that contributes to the interpretation of the song.

      • Include the name of the song, artist, writer (if different from the performer), date, hyperlink, and any other relevant citation information (e.g., release date).

      • Write 3–4 pages about your findings. Discuss how changes in texture, timbre, lyrics, etc. create the form. Does the form serve the content/meaning of the song (i.e., strophic songs are usually helpful in long narratives, etc.)? Distinguish between unmarked and marked moments. For instance, if there is a 5th novelty layer, how is it sonically differentiated from the other 4 layers? Is there a different type of markedness, such as a perceived shift in perspective due to lyrics or meter, or an obvious phenomenological moment such as a change in dynamics, tempo, or other parameters? What meaning do you interpret with this shift?

      • Prepare a short, 5-minute presentation for the class that summarizes your analysis and the main points of your 3–4-page paper.

  • In response to Kyle Adams’s 2009 MTO article on flow (“On the metrical techniques of flow in rap music”, discuss the extent to which timbre (i.e., rhymes in the vocal part, the interaction between the vocals and instrumental layers, etc.) plays a role in constructing meter and flow. How do these timbral elements influence analytical approaches to flow? Can you think of other repertoires or analytical methodologies in which rhyme and phonetic elements are used or regarded as timbral elements? Conduct a timbre-focused analysis of flow in a hip hop song of your choosing.

2.4 Timbre in Context

This sub-module discusses the extent to which and the many ways in which timbral analysis takes cultural context into account. Furthermore, the resources within this sub-module encourage and equip students to consider and explore the deep and multifaceted connection between timbre and identity.

Keywords: Timbre and identity, Timbre and race, timbre and gender, timbre reception and production, cross-cultural approaches


Central problem and goals: Different musical traditions may place emphases on different aspects of music. Timbre is an important musical parameter that is impossible to detach from musical sounds. The ways performers (or practitioners) and listeners conceive of and perceive these musical elements differ based on their knowledge and experience and can offer insights into the various ways in which the musics of different traditions might be described, talked about, and/or analyzed.

Keywords: traditions, culture, enculturation, cultural listening

  • Explore different conceptualizations and applications of timbre in various musical traditions.

  • Analyze approaches to timbre production in various musical traditions.

  • Analyze approaches to timbral listening and reception in various musical traditions.

Topics & Resources

Timbre production in different musical traditions

The literature in this topic focuses on different means of producing music in different traditions. The studies here closely link timbral qualities with modes of production and discuss the close links between sound production and identity.

 

Key resources

Additional resources

  • Levin, T. C., & Edgerton, M. E. (1999). The Throat Singers of Tuva. Scientific American, 281(3), 80–87. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0999-80

  • Meintjes, L. (2003). Sound of Africa!: Making Music Zulu in a South African Studio. Duke University Press.

  • Solis, G. (2015). Timbral Virtuosity: Pharoah Sanders, Sonic Heterogeneity, and the Jazz Avant-Garde in the 1960s and 70s. Jazz Perspectives, 9(1), 47–63. https://doi.org/10.1080/17494060.2015.1125939

  • Grandin, I. (2012). The Soundscape of Radio: Engineering Modern Songs and Superculture in Nepal. In P. Greene & T. Porcello (Eds.), Wired for Sound: Engineering and Technologies in Sonic Cultures (pp. 222–244). Middletown: Wesleyan University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1116.

 
 
 

Timbral listening and reception in different musical traditions

The literature in this topic expounds and evaluates the cultural biases that play into receiving (i.e., listening to) music from different cultures. This literature focuses closely on analyzing and evaluating the link between timbre and identity.

 

Key sources

Additional resources

  • De Vale, S. C. (1984). Prolegomena to a Study of Harp and Voice Sounds in Uganda: A Graphic System for the Notation of Texture in Studies in African Music. In K. Nketia & J. Cogdell DjeDje (Eds.), Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology (Vol. 5, pp. 285–315). University of California Press.

  • Fales, C. (2019). Voiceness in Musical Instruments. In N. S. Eidsheim & K. Meizel (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Voice Studies (pp. 237–268). Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199982295.013.4

  • Levin, T., & Süzükei, V. (2021). Timbre-Centered Listening in the Tuvan Soundscape. In E. I. Dolan & A. Rehding (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Timbre (pp. 206–228). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190637224.013.15

  • Robinson, D. (2020b). Hungry Listening: Resonant Theory for Indigenous Sound Studies. University of Minnesota Press.

  • Serra, X. (2011, October 24). A Multicultural Approach in Music Information Research. Proceedings of the 12th International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference.

 

Activities

Discussions

  • Byungki Hwang – “The Labyrinth”
    “The following link is the very first recording performed by the composer himself (he played a Kayagum, a Korean traditional plucked instrument) and Hong Shin Cha (singer). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_HrXfWsThU
    One of his interviews, available in the following link, will be highly helpful for anyone who is interested in the composer's profile, the genesis of the piece, and the composer's comment on the piece.
    http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/02/hwang-byungki-migung-interview
    Byungki Hwang (1936-2018) was a Korean composer/Kayagum player. His contribution to the contemporary Korean traditional and Western music was enormous, and his influence on the Western researchers also resulted in an extensive body of study of the composer in English.
    The Labyrinth (1973) has been one of the most sensational compositions by the composer largely due to its strange and even frightening affect on Korean audiences. Even this piece was banned by the Korean dictatorship of the time. After the ban was lifted, this piece suffered from notorious rumors and urban legends circulated among Koreans until a recent rediscovery.

  • Discuss how the composer creates a wordless, abstract, but powerful drama through a variety of female vocal timbres, the spectrum of which exceeds what is normally expected. Discuss how the timbral qualities of the voices and accompaniment interact.

  • Discuss how Tenzer 2018 and Robinson 2020a intersect: How does Tenzer avoid the pitfalls that Robinson points out? What would be the features of an analytical methodology that aligns with Robinson’s perspective? To what extent does Tenzer’s analysis measure up to this hypothetical structure? What are your thoughts on analyzing music that comes from a culture with which the analyst does not identify?

Assignments and Projects

  • Fales’s article (The Paradox of Timbre) was important at the time it was published because of its challenge to the utility of scientific approaches to timbre analysis. Having read more scientific approaches in the previous weeks, what do you make of this scientific vs. cultural-analytical divide in timbre analysis? You may wish to muse on the advantages and disadvantages of each side, challenge this divide entirely, or compare it to other disciplines in which you’ve seen such a divide. Write a response essay of 500 words articulating your thoughts. Post your response on the course website and respond to at least one other essay by one of your classmates (your response should be approx. 100 words long)

    • NB: this exercise can be done with any of the assigned readings


Central problem and goals: In addition to carrying sonic information (e.g., sound sources, modes of production, etc.), musical timbre can allude to the identity of the community or individual people who created the music. This opens the crucial question of how timbre can be interpreted as conveying or implying information related to the identity of its musical creator(s). How do these interpretations reflect the socio-cultural norms/environment of the musical receivers vs. those of the creators? What kind of identity-related information can be interpreted from musical timbre? And finally, what are the established methodologies for these interpretations? How effective are they (and what does effectiveness mean in this context)? In all, this sub-module encourages critical engagement with the socio-cultural and identity-based implications of musical timbre and encourages students to reflect on and evaluate current interpretive frameworks.

Keywords: timbre

  • Discuss how identity-related information may be interpreted through or carried by musical timbre, exploring this from both the producer and receiver perspectives

  • Analyze examples of musical timbre production that intentionally convey elements of the cultural or individual identity of the creator(s)

·          Analyze examples of musical timbre production that have been incorrectly associated with a certain aspect of the cultural or individual identity of its creator(s)

  • Investigate why certain modes of timbral production and their resulting sounds are commonly associated with specific elements of personal and cultural identity

  • Discuss the extent to which musical timbre may appear to reinforce a group of people’s identity

Topics & Resources

Examining Intersections Between Timbre and Identity (General)

The literature in this topic engages with general intersections between timbral analysis and identity, demonstrating that the context in which timbre is produced and perceived is essential to informing any analysis of timbre in music.

 

Key Resources

Additional resources

 

Intersections of Timbre and Race

This topic focuses specifically on how timbre can carry information or trigger interpretive assumptions about racial identity. It discusses implicit biases that may be associated with certain interpretive approaches and how analysts may approach deconstructing them.

 

Key resources

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2018). “The Triumph of Jimmy Scott”: A Voice Beyond Category. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music (pp. 141–158). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0007

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2019a). Bifurcated Listening: The Inimitable, Imitated Billie Holiday. In The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music. Duke University Press.

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2019b). The Acousmatic Question: Who Is This? In The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music. Duke University Press.

  • Olwage, G. (2004). The Class and Colour of Tone: An Essay on the Social History of Vocal Timbre. Ethnomusicology Forum, 13(2), 203–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/1741191042000286167

    Additional resources

  • Brackett, D. (2000a). James Brown’s “Superbad” and the Double-Voiced Utterance. In Interpreting Popular Music: With a New Preface by the Author (pp. 108–156). Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520925700-005

  • Brackett, D. (2000b). When You’re Lookin’ at Hank (You’re Lookin’ at Country). In Interpreting Popular Music: With a New Preface by the Author (pp. 75–107). Univ of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520925700-004

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2019c). The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music. Duke University Press. https://doi.org./10.1215/9780822372646

  • Stoever, J. L. (2016). The Sonic Color Line: Race and the Cultural Politics of Listening (Vol. 17). NYU Press. https://doi.org/10.18574/9781479899081

  • Tucker, J. (2019). Song and Sound. In Making Music Indigenous: Popular Music in the Peruvian Andes (pp. 72–101). University of Chicago Press.

  • Weheliye, A. G. (2002). “Feenin”: Posthuman Voices in Contemporary Black Popular Music. Social Text, 20(2), 21–47. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/31935

 

Intersections of Timbre and Gender

This topic engages specifically with how vocal timbre may carry information suggesting or provoke assumptions surrounding gender identity.

 

Key resources

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2019). Familiarity as strangeness: Jimmy Scott and the question of timbral masculinity. In The race of sound: Listening, timbre, and vocality in African American music. Duke University Press.

  • Patch, H., & König, T. (2018). Trans* vocality: Lived experience, singing bodies, and joyful politics. FZG – Freiburger Zeitschrift für GeschlechterStudien, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.3224/fzg.v24i1.03

  • Provenzano, C. (2019). Making voices: The gendering of pitch correction and the auto-tune effect in contemporary pop music. Journal of Popular Music Studies, 31(2), 63–84. https://doi.org/10.1525/jpms.2019.312008

Additional resources

  • Eidsheim, N. S. (2018). “The triumph of Jimmy Scott”: A voice beyond category. In R. Fink, Z. Wallmark, & M. Latour (Eds.), The relentless pursuit of tone: Timbre in popular music (pp. 141–158). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0007

  • Riikonen, T. (2003). Shaken or stirred–virtual reverberation spaces and transformative gender identities in Kaija Saariaho’s NoaNoa (1992) for flute and electronics. Organised Sound, 8(1), 109–115. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1355771803001122

  • Robinson, D. (2020). Hungry listening: Resonant theory for indigenous sound studies. University of Minnesota Press.

 

Intersections of Timbre and Identity in Recording and Production Contexts

This topic explores how technological mediation and recording procedures influence the intersection of timbre and elements of identity, such as cultural and gendered aspects of identity.

Key sources

  • Navas, E. (2012). Remix theory: The aesthetics of sampling. Ambra Verlag.

  • Sterne, J. (2003). Machines to hear for them. In The audible past: Cultural origins of sound reproduction (pp. 31–86). Duke University Press. DOI:  https://doi-org.proxy3.library.mcgill.ca/10.1215/9780822384250-002

  • Théberge, P. (2018). The sound of nowhere: Reverb and the construction of sonic space. In R. Fink, M. Latour, & Z. Wallmark (Eds.), The relentless pursuit of tone: Timbre in popular music (pp. 323–344). Oxford University Press. DOI:10.1093/oso/9780199985227.003.0015

Additional resources

 
 

Activities

Discussion

  • Orovela: A Georgian Folk Song — Two Versions
    1) Hamlet Gonashvile and the Rustavi Choir
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExkXJcx7RZ4
    2) Ensemble Kalaptari, Soloist Ana Bajiashvili https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9m6blsUzmI
    In listening to the 2 different versions of the same piece, how do we identify and describe the different sound worlds and timbres between the male and female voices. What colors, forms, and movement do these sound worlds create in your imagination as you listen to them? What are the similarities? What are the differences? Are these a result of timbre? How/Why?

  • To what extent are cultural & personal identity intertwined with musical style and the (timbral) aesthetic norms within that style? Is it possible (and/or relevant) to identify and/or disentangle timbral references to identity and style? Why or why not? If yes, how do you think we should go about doing so?

    • How might this question play into issues of musical cultural appropriation? Can you think of an example of a piece of music that uses stylistic or aesthetic norms that typically allude to a particular culture, but that is created by an individual (or group) who does not affiliate themselves with that cultural group? What is/are the timbre(s) in question? How are they used in the music? What are the effects of the use of this/these sound(s) in the music, on the culture to which they allude, and on “cultural outsiders” who perhaps understand the reference, but do not necessarily affiliate themselves with the culture that is being alluded to. Do you think the inclusion of this/these timbre(s) is appropriate? Why or why not? Remember to be as respectful as possible of others’ opinions and thoughts on this, as it may be a challenging issue to discuss.

    • Hint: an example of this might be pieces that include so-called “world music” timbres such as the sitar in rock music

  • To what extent might musical timbre unite a group of people who are connected by common aspects of identity implied by the timbre(s) in question? Can you think of artists or composers who use timbre to intentionally convey their cultural affiliation or other elements of their identity? What are the sounds they use to do so and how do they use them?

  • How do we define a cultural or identity? What role does musical timbre play in defining the group of people?

Assignments and Projects

  • In class, you were assigned to a partner. Within each pair, one partner should read Provenzano (Auto-Tune, Labor, and the Pop Music Voice) and the other should read Sun Eidsheim (The Triumph of Jimmy Scott’: A Voice Beyond Category).
    Write a one-page outline that summarizes your reading. Be sure to include the main thesis of the paper and definitions of any key terms. Add page numbers for any quotations you pull.

Timbre and Orchestration Resource
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Module I: Defining Timbre

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Module III: Applications of Timbre and Timbral Analysis