What is tone in music? Musical tone explained

One of the more confusing words we use in music theory and production is the word “tone.” This essential element of music can be hard to understand because of its multifaceted meaning.

Nonetheless, wrapping your head around tone in music is an important part of being a great producer, beatmaker, or composer as the tone we use significantly shapes the overall feel of a piece.

Tone is not a single attribute but a combination of several elements that work together to create a unique sound. In this post, we’ll explore tone in music, and how you can manipulate various elements like pitch, timbre, dynamics, and articulation to vary the tone of your music.

Jump to these sections:

• What is tone in music?
• What are the elements of tone in music?

1. 1. Pitch
   2. Timbre
   3. Dynamics
   4. Articulation

• How to use tone in music production
  • Instrument choice
  • Effects-based processing
  • Equalizers

• Conclusion: use tone in music to shape your soundscapes

Follow along with this tutorial using Komplete Start.

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What is tone in music?

Tone in music can refer to several related concepts.

Firstly, it can refer to intervals that create the structure of scales and modes.

In Western music theory, the distance between two adjacent notes like D and E is called a tone, or sometimes a whole tone:

The smallest distance between two notes is called a semitone meaning half a tone. That would be the distance between D and E flat:

Tone can also refer to specific musical notes or pitches, like the E or D we previously mentioned. Those are both tones. The collection of tones we use in a piece—usually seven tones in a particular order called a scale—will describe its tonality or key.

Finally, the word tone also encompasses the quality or color of a sound, which includes elements like timbre, dynamics, and articulation. This multifaceted concept is integral to the character and emotional impact of music, influencing everything in our productions and compositions from melody and harmony to the unique sound of different instruments and voices.

To illustrate how severely tone can influence a piece, let’s take the same melodic line and play it with three different tonal identities:

One of the producers who uses tone exceptionally well is Four Tet. Below he explains how he uses different tones to enhance his melodic lines on his track “Skater.” Skip to 6:18 to hear his explanation.

What are the elements of tone in music?

Let’s focus on several of the main components that make up the tone in a piece of music. Before we break them down, it’s important to remember that these elements are interconnected and work together to create the overall tone of a piece. In other words, none of these components exist in isolation. With that in mind, let’s dive in:

1. Pitch

Pitch is the frequency of a note, determining how high or low it sounds. It serves as the foundation upon which other tonal qualities are built.

The pitches used in a piece will affect its harmonic structure, melodic contour, instrumental character, and frequency interaction.

Listen to this in action in “Gosh” by Jamie xx. In the second half of the track, a lead line is introduced which plays the melody. As the track progresses, this melodic line jumps up an octave, demonstrating how the tone of an instrument can be altered and shaped by its pitch.

 2. Timbre

Timbre, also known as the color or texture of sound, is what distinguishes different instruments and voices even when they play the same pitch. For example, a piano and a synth bass may play the same note, but their timbres are distinctly different due to the manner in which they produce sound.

Here is a B1 note played on a piano:

Here is the exact same note played on a synth bass:

They sound completely different, don’t they? That’s because the instruments used have their own distinctive timbres.

Timbre is influenced by various factors, including the instrument’s construction, the performer’s technique, and the acoustic environment.

3. Dynamics

Dynamics refer to the volume of a sound, ranging from soft to loud. Dynamics add emotional intensity and variation to the tone of a piece, which allows us to express moods and feelings through level.

For instance, a gradual increase in volume can build anticipation, while a gradual decrease in volume can create a sense of resolution. Effective use of dynamics can transform a simple melody into a powerful and emotive performance.

In EDM, dynamics are often used in this way to create build-ups before drops, starting with a soft volume that gradually increases until it reaches a peak just before the drop.

Let’s listen to that in the EDM classic “Levels” by Avicii. Pay special attention to the dynamic low at 2:10 through the huge dynamic increase going into the final drop at 2:40:

Keep in mind that different instruments have distinct pitch ranges, which is crucial when writing for real or sampled instruments. These pitch ranges can limit an instrument’s ability to produce certain dynamics at both extremes. For example, achieving a very soft sound on a high note with a clarinet is challenging because the breath required to reach the note results in a loud sound.

As you continue to write and experiment, you’ll become more familiar with the natural ranges and dynamics of various instruments.

4. Articulation

Articulation describes how a note is played. Some articulation elements that can be found on a synth or sampler are attack, sustain, and decay.

‘Staccato’ articulation (that’s where notes are played in a short and detached style) can create a playful feel. On the other hand, a ‘legato’ articulation (where notes are smoothly connected) can evoke a sense of fluidity.

Charli xcx switches between articulations masterfully on the back half of “365.” Listen to the change in the articulation of the synth bass through staccato and legato passages, which are being manipulated by various controls of the synth over time.

Together, these elements of tone – pitch, timbre, dynamics, and articulation—interact to create the distinctive sound of a piece of music. By understanding and manipulating these elements we can craft unique and expressive compositions. Tone is not just a technical aspect of music; it is a powerful tool for conveying emotion and telling a story through sound.

How to use tone in music production

In the context of music production, specific musical tones can be achieved through various techniques and choices:

Instrument choice

Selecting the right instruments is the first step in shaping the tone of your music. Different instruments offer distinct tonal qualities.

If you are looking for organic tones, use real instruments or samples played through a high-quality sampler like Kontakt.

If you’re looking for something with a more electronic tonality, you should consider a synthesizer like Massive X.

Effects-based processing

Applying effects is an effective way to alter and enhance tone.

Reverb adds a sense of space and depth, making a recording sound as if it was made in a concert hall, cathedral, or small room.

Delay creates echoes, repeating the sound at specific intervals.

Distortion and saturation introduce harmonic overtones, adding warmth or grit.

Chorus and flanger are modulation effects that create a sense of movement and thickness by slightly detuning and delaying the sound.

If you want to dive deeper into these ideas, check out this article where we demonstrate how effects processing can yield different guitar tones.

Equalizers

An equalizer or EQ is a tool used to adjust the balance of different frequency components in a sound, allowing you to shape very specific parts of the tone.

By boosting or cutting frequencies in the bass range, you can affect the warmth and power of the tone. Adjusting the midrange frequencies can influence the character of certain instruments and vocals, making them more or less prominent in the mix. Enhancing or reducing treble frequencies impacts the clarity and brightness of the tone, allowing you to fine-tune the overall sound.

Some EQs, like the Maag Audio EQ4 MS, unexpectedly shape your mixes’ tone. With all the gain knobs, center frequency switches, and bandwidth settings in their default state, this EQ has an almost linear response. However, flipping one of the center frequency or bandwidth switches will lead to a non-linear response, even with each gain knob set to 0 dB. This behavior is unique and can lead to very musical results.

Use tone in music to shape your soundscapes

Tone is not just about individual notes or instruments; it’s about the entire soundscape of a piece. By focusing on tone and learning how to shape it, you can create a powerful connection with your music and influence it in distinctive ways.

Komplete Start provides a wide range of tonal options in a completely free package. Check it out below to start making your own unique tonal choices.

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Learn more about music production:

1. Film scoring with cinematic guitar VST: Kithara
2. Modular synthesis: the ultimate guide
3. Why upgrade to Komplete 15? What’s new