Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 21 - Reading Check Questions (Comprehension) - Page 401: 13

Answer

The number of partial tones and their relative loudness determine the musical quality of a note.

Work Step by Step

Many musical sounds are complex, and are composed of many "partial tones" of different frequencies. How many there are, and how intense they are relative to each other, determines the timbre of the note. This is discussed on page 395.
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