Toward a Theory of Timbre

Conclusion (I)

Timbre differs from other primary auditory phenomena (like pitch or loudness) in that timbre is closely associated with the identity of sounds and (often) their meaning or significance for a listener.

I have suggested that a possibly productive approach to understanding timbre might be to unravel the kinds of information that can be extracted from sounds that have evolutionary value.

I have distinguished two classes of problems that timbre "solves."

One class of problems relates to state cues. These cues tell us something important (from an evolutionary point of view) about sounds. For example, these cues tell us the size of the sound-producing object, the mode of excitation, the amount of energy generated, and whether the sound-generator is an inanimate object or a living agent.

In the case of living beings, state cues might also inform us about intentions and emotional states, such as fear, pleasure, sexual openness, or aggressive motives. I propose that many of these functions are predominantly innate rather than predominantly learned.