Question

A piano and violin produce the sound of ________timbre.
(A)Same
(B)Different
(C)Sometimes same sometimes different
(D)None

Answer 1

Hint: This is a fill up the blanks type of question in which we have to mark the correct answer out of the options given. Here the key word is timbre or timber. It is defined as the quality of auditory sensations that are produced by the tone of sound waves.

Complete step by step answer:
Timbre is what makes the sound of musical instruments what they are. It is responsible for the broad classification of musical instruments into string instruments, wood instruments, woodwind instruments, etc. It is the unique and distinctive sound that belongs to a specific instrument and helps a listener distinguish one instrument from another.
The timbre of violin and piano, being different musical instruments with different tonal characteristics is different even if both are playing the same note.
Thus, the violin and piano have different timbres.

So, the correct answer is “Option B”.

Additional Information: Other names for timbre are tone color or tone quality. It is the difference in sound produced by musical instruments playing the same note with the same volume and even in the same amplitude. The physical characteristics of sound that determine the perception of timbre include frequency spectrum and envelope.

Note: It must always be remembered that the timbre for two different musical instruments is always different. It is the defining quality or the characteristic property of musical instruments. Thus the timbre of guitar, piano, violin, flute, etc are all different from one another even if they are tuned equally and are playing the same note.