If “Bob” was singing an F-sharp, and “Lisa” was also singing an F-sharp, shouldn’t they sound the same? After all, they’re singing at the same pitch, and the same note, are they not?
In: Biology
So, the main note you hear is called the *fundamental frequency*, it’s what you’d consider the note they’re singing. So, let’s say that F# is the fundamental frequency, the F# is the loudest pitch in the sound. However, the sound of the voice – or even an instrument – is made up of many many different pitches in different amounts. This creates *timbre*, or the “qualities” of the sound you’re hearing. So, in actuality, while they’re singing the same *note*, the *pitches* involved in the sound they’re making are not the same. That’s why two humans, or two different instruments, sound different despite playing the same note.
Tone generators generate a single *sine wave* of a single pitch, so two tone generators tuned to the same pitch sound the same because there are no additional pitches that make up the sound.
Does an F sharp sound the same on a piano as a violin as a guitar as a trombone?
Theres a huge amount of variation in the voice due to the structure of the vocal chords, the shape of the chest, throat mouth and head. And a voice is made up of multiple frequencies that vary from person to person.
When you speak/sing, your whole entire body is the instrument. Not all instruments are built the same, and this ultimately effects the “timbre” of the note that comes out.
Pitch is not the same as timbre or tone. People have different anatomy which contributes to different tones. Just hear the trumpet and a trombone. Both are wind instruments, and also brass instruments. But they sound way different because of how they were built. Or even two guitars with different set of strings and different body shape, you’ll notice different qualities of their sound. The same goes for humans. Every slight difference of the shape of the mouth, head and larynx contributes to a unique sound for each person.
They’re not singing the same waveform (the pattern of pressure squiggles that makes up their sound).
The “note” is the primary frequency, the dominant one. If they’re both singing F-sharp (at the same octave) then they have the same primary frequency, otherwise they’d be out of tune.
But sound is far more than one frequency…outside very specialized instruments, like a tuning fork, there will be multiple harmonic and subharmonics and other frequencies, all with different amplitudes (strengths). The unique mix is why different instruments and different voices don’t sound the same when singing the same note.
Latest Answers