Remember that timbre is not measured directly, but described in terms of characteristics. If you have no reference to the pitch, a “bright” sound is always going to seem high in pitch, while a “deep, resonant” sound is going to seem low in pitch.

How do you calculate timbre?

Timbre is determined by an instrument's shape (e.g., the conical or cylindrical pipe of a wind instrument), by the frequency range within which the instrument can produce overtones, and by the envelope of the instrument's sound.

Is timbre a pitch?

Pitch and timbre play central roles in both speech and music. Pitch allows us to hear intonation in a language and notes in a melody. Timbre allows us to distinguish the vowels and consonants that make up words, as well as the unique sound qualities of different musical instruments.