Una esperienza di categorizzazione del timbro tramite test di definizione operativa

Abstract

This article contributes to the ongoing empirical research on the concept of timbre. My aim is to propose a reference system (currently limited to the Italian language) for associating certain sound parameters with the adjectives commonly used to describe timbre. The article begins with a study of the adjectives currently used to describe timbre, in order to formalise a reference vocabulary. This vocabulary is validated by tests with musicians and music experts. I then consider some criteria for the analysis of the sound spectrogram — the result of the data is fundamental to associate the constructed vocabulary. Finally, I explain the tests carried out, based on the experience of musicians and music experts, to correlate these data criteria with specific timbral lexical labels.