, This question brings to mind a time in Miami, when I was taking that course with the Albert brothers. Learn adjectives that are commonly used to describe guitars and music in general. Learn how your comment data is processed. Growl: A certain rasp or overdriven sound that a bigger-bodied guitar puts off, often as the result of aggressive playing. I don’t know but it sure does soothe my soul! Below is an earful of commonly used expressions. Dry: A tone with a strong fundamental and little to no overtones, with under-pronounced or very subtle frequency peaks. (1 Hz = 1 vibration per second.). But understanding some basic terms will serve you well. Acoustic Guitar Innovation Spotlight: The Taylor Neck, A Guide To Taylor Acoustic Guitar Model Numbers. When you set a guitar string in motion, it vibrates along it's entire length. In a previous post, I used the words “searing” and “soulful” to try to describe the sound of Albert King’s guitar playing. Ceiling: A defined boundary, often used in reference to volume. The result would be a level low end and high end, but a little less of the midrange. However, a guitar can have any combination or quality of bass, treble, midrange, resonance, definition, sustain, projection, dynamic range, warmth, volume, percussiveness, tonal bloom, note shape, harmonics, sweetness, clarity (or lack of it), tonal … Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It always amazes me what true musician “hear”. Use a thesaurus to expand your guitar music lexicon. Explore our in-house publication in a new digital experience. Go figure…. In order to accurately … “I know,” I replied. A rosewood Grand Auditorium has a warm treble sound; the treble is there but it’s not overly bright.
Balance: Even volume and frequency distribution from the low notes to the high notes. Rosewood family woods typically are strong in this distinct and articulate clarity. Midrange: On car stereo or home audio systems, the frequency response often ranges between 20 Hz to 20 kilohertz (kHz). Crisp: More treble emphasis, without lingering overtones. Sam ideal as “zing.” Sparkling treble frequencies might also be described as “zesty.” If they appear to linger, you might say they “shimmer.”. High frequency (treble) tones tend to reside beyond that. If one considers where an acoustic guitar’s pitch range falls, predominantly all the notes on the fretboard occupy the midrange of the frequency spectrum that can be heard. Tone is the quality that makes one guitar sound different from another.
Sparkle: In a general sense, the opposite of warm; some excited high frequencies. How would you describe the sound of a guitar. Meaty: Lots of midrange, with a full low end. If you remember, they were recording Steven Stills “Manassas” album at the time. While experienced musicians may share much the same vocabulary, descriptions can be somewhat subjective. It’s like trying to describe a color. How Do You Describe the Sound of a Guitar? Like lovers of food, wine, craft beer, spirits, coffee and other flavor-rich consumables, guitar players wield colorful descriptors to identify tonal qualities. Midrange covers from 110 Hz, which is a low A string, up as high as 3 kHz. Presence: Generally, the treble frequencies that provide articulation and definition. The origin might be based partly on the fact that the human voice tends to occupy midrange frequencies. One can still hear and understand the words, but they will have less presence because they lack the articulation of a clearly defined high frequency. Florentine Cutaway Grand Symphony Models Are Here! It’s where the human voice is; it’s the middle part of a piano. Mahogany’s focused midrange is often described as dry. I’ve always thought of guitar sounds ranging from “fat” to “crisp”.
Learn how to describe the sound of a guitar by understanding the different types of guitars and guitar music. Highly recommended. However, each individual guitar will have its own personal combination of fundamental and overtones. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. That is an interesting question to ponder, especially considering not only the differences in electric vs acoustic, but also the sizes, age, types of wood, strings…you get my point. Our expert staff is ready to assist you, Join the Taylor family and enjoy exclusive owner benefits, Tap into our network of Taylor-certified repair technicians. How would you describe the sound of a guitar?”. On one of the tracks, Steven was looking for a specific type of sound that was in his head, for the drums. ( Log Out / The “alpha dog,” if you will. A cutaway, mother of pearl inlays, or wood binding are qualities that are easy to make decisions as to whether you like or dislike them. Although overtones tend to be more subtle than the fundamental, they add richness and complexity to a sound. Scooped: Attenuated, or slightly diminished. Different styles of guitars sound different; they may be twangy, full-bodied, bright, metallic or harp-like.