Notation of Instrumental Timbre: Distinguishing Cause and Effect in the Relationship Between Technique and Sound
Instrumental timbre can be thought of on many intertwined levels: the instrument itself, the musician playing, the interpretational style, the link with the listener. In the western tradition, musical scores often specify certain techniques (causes) in order to achieve particular timbres (effects). Timbral specifications can also be direct – warm, round, brilliant, metallic, and so on – calling on multimodal sensory metaphors. Thus, notation occupies many levels, both up- and downstream of the relationship between technique and sound: composers can specify the cause (techniques, fingerings), the desired sonic effect (type of attack, phrasing), or the desired emotional effect on the listener.