Timbre Semantic Associations Vary Both Between and Within Instruments

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to understand how timbre semantic associations—for example, a sound’s timbre perceived as bright, rough, or hollow—vary with register and pitch height across instruments. In this experiment, 540 online participants rated single, sustained notes from eight Western orchestral instruments (flute, oboe, bass clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, and vibraphone) across three registers (low, medium, and high) on 20 semantic scales derived from Reymore and Huron (2020). The 24 two-second stimuli, equalized in loudness, were produced using the Vienna Symphonic Library. Exploratory modeling examined relationships between mean ratings of each semantic dimension and instrument, register, and participant musician identity (“musician” vs. “nonmusician”). For most semantic descriptors, both register and instrument were significant predictors, though the amount of variance explained differed (marginal R2). Terms that had the strongest positive relationships with register include shrill/harsh/noisy, sparkling/brilliant/bright, ringing/long decay, and percussive. Terms with the strongest negative relationships with register include deep/thick/heavy, raspy/grainy/gravelly, hollow, and woody. Post hoc modeling using only pitch height and only register to predict mean semantic rating suggests that pitch height may explain more variance than does register. Results help clarify the influence of both instrument and relative register (and pitch height) on common timbre semantic associations.