tone colour

British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: tone.  the quality of a musical sound that is conditioned or distinguished by the upper partials or overtones present in it See also timbre

---

Example Sentences

Stockhausen's message – that melody, rhythm, harmony and tone colour were all aspects of vibration – held enormous appeal for him.

From The Guardian • Dec. 5, 2012

And there, I think, for the first time, the whole gamut of natural vision, tone, colour, form, light and shade, atmosphere, focus, &c., considered as one impression, were put on canvas.

From The Practice and Science of Drawing by Speed, Harold

For, by omitting this note you do alter the tone colour of the chord as well as its sonority.

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Hofmann, Josef

This work stuns by its glorious magnificence of tonal texture; the suggestion, in the opening measures, of the rising sun is a mighty example of the overwhelming power of tone colour.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)

The pianist's touch is the immediate producer of whatever variety or colour of tone the moment requires, whereas the organist is powerless to produce any change of tone colour except by pulling a different stop.

From Piano Playing: With Piano Questions Answered by Hofmann, Josef