Tone vs. Pitch — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 15, 2024
Tone refers to the quality and character of sound, whereas pitch indicates the perceived frequency, determining how high or low a sound is.
Difference Between Tone and Pitch
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tone involves the quality and timbre of sound, influenced by various factors including the instrument or voice producing it. It gives music and speech their unique color and texture, distinguishing one instrument or voice from another. Pitch, on the other hand, is a more specific aspect of sound, determined by the frequency of sound waves. It defines how high or low a sound appears to the human ear.
The tone of a sound encompasses its richness and complexity, influenced by overtones and the unique qualities of the sound source. For example, a violin and a flute playing the same note will have different tones due to their distinct timbral characteristics. Conversely, pitch is more straightforward, quantified by Hertz (Hz), and does not change with the instrument but rather with the frequency of the note being played.
While tone contributes to the emotional and expressive qualities of music and speech, conveying mood and character, pitch plays a crucial role in melody, harmony, and the perception of musical intervals. A sound's pitch allows us to recognize musical notes and scales, and is foundational to the structure of music.
Both tone and pitch are essential in music and auditory perception. Tone adds depth and character, making each auditory experience unique, while pitch provides the framework for melody and harmony, allowing us to organize sounds in a musically meaningful way.
In essence, while pitch can be thought of as the objective measurement of sound frequency, tone is more subjective, shaped by acoustical properties and the listener's perception, contributing to the richness and variety in the world of sound.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The quality and character of sound, influenced by its source and overtones.
The perceived frequency of a sound, determining how high or low it appears.
Influences
Instrument/material, technique, environment.
Frequency of sound waves.
Role in Music
Contributes to timbre and expressiveness.
Fundamental to melody, harmony, and musical structure.
Measurement
Described in qualitative terms (warm, bright, dark).
Measured in Hertz (Hz).
Perception
Subjective, varying with listener and context.
Relatively objective, based on frequency.
Compare with Definitions
Tone
Character of voice.
Her speaking tone is warm and inviting.
Pitch
Highness or lowness.
A soprano singer reaches high pitches effortlessly.
Tone
Sound quality.
The cello is known for its deep, rich tone.
Pitch
Melodic element.
The melody's pitch contour makes it memorable.
Tone
Instrumental timbre.
The saxophone's tone can range from smooth to raspy.
Pitch
Musical note identification.
Middle C has a specific pitch recognizable by musicians.
Tone
Emotional expression.
The tone of the music shifted from cheerful to melancholic.
Pitch
Harmonic foundation.
Pitch relationships define chords and harmonies.
Tone
Unique sound signature.
Each guitar has its own distinctive tone.
Pitch
Frequency measurement.
The pitch of a sound at 440 Hz is considered A4 in music.
Tone
A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength
They were speaking in hushed tones
The piano tone appears lacking in warmth
Pitch
The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone
Her voice rose steadily in pitch
Tone
The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
There was a general tone of ill-concealed glee in the reporting
My friend and I lowered the tone with our oafish ways
Pitch
The steepness of a slope, especially of a roof.
Tone
A basic interval in classical Western music, equal to two semitones and separating, for example, the first and second notes of an ordinary scale (such as C and D, or E and F sharp); a major second
The B flat clarinet's part is written one tone higher than the pitch required
Pitch
A level of the intensity of something, especially a high level
The media furore reached such a pitch that the company withdrew the product
Tone
The particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of a shade of a colour
An attractive colour which is even in tone and texture
Stained glass in vivid tones of red and blue
Pitch
An area of ground marked out or used for play in an outdoor team game
A football pitch
Tone
(in some languages, such as Chinese) a particular pitch pattern on a syllable used to make semantic distinctions.
Pitch
A delivery of the ball by the pitcher.
Tone
The normal level of firmness or slight contraction in a resting muscle
A reduction of muscle tone
A certain amount of daily exercise is essential to maintain proper body tone and function
Pitch
A form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something
He put over a very strong sales pitch
Tone
Give greater strength or firmness to (the body or a muscle)
Exercise tones up the muscles
Pitch
A place where a street vendor or performer stations themselves or sets up a stall
The traders had already reserved their pitches
Tone
Harmonize with (something) in terms of colour
The rich orange colour of the wood tones beautifully with the yellow roses
Pitch
A swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion
The pitch and roll of the ship
Tone
Give (a monochrome picture) an altered colour in finishing by means of a chemical solution
It's a good idea to sepia tone the whole print first
Pitch
The distance between successive corresponding points or lines, for example between the teeth of a cogwheel.
Tone
A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.
Pitch
A sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semi-liquid when hot and hardens when cold, obtained by distilling tar or turpentine and used for waterproofing.
Tone
The interval of a major second in the diatonic scale; a whole step.
Pitch
Set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch
You've pitched the melody very high
Tone
A recitational melody in a Gregorian chant.
Pitch
Throw roughly or casually
He crumpled the page up and pitched it into the fireplace
Tone
The quality or character of sound.
Pitch
Throw (the ball) for the batter to try to hit.
Tone
The characteristic quality or timbre of a particular instrument or voice.
Pitch
Make a bid to obtain a contract or other business
I've been pitching for this account for over a month
Tone
The pitch of a word used to determine its meaning or to distinguish differences in meaning.
Pitch
Set up and fix in position
We pitched camp for the night
Tone
The particular or relative pitch of a word, phrase, or sentence.
Pitch
(of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front moves up and down
The little steamer pressed on, pitching gently
Tone
Manner of expression in speech or writing
Took an angry tone with the reporters.
Pitch
Cause (a roof) to slope downwards from the ridge
The roof was pitched at an angle of 75 degrees
Tone
A general quality, effect, or atmosphere
A room with an elegant tone.
Pitch
Pave (a road) with stones
Another sort of stone is used for pitching streets
Tone
A color or shade of color
Light tones of blue.
Pitch
(in brewing) add yeast to (wort) to induce fermentation.
Tone
Quality of color
The green wallpaper had a particularly somber tone.
Pitch
Cover, coat, or smear with pitch.
Tone
The general effect in painting of light, color, and shade.
Pitch
Any of various thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing, roofing, caulking, and paving.
Tone
The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles.
Pitch
Any of various natural bitumens, such as mineral pitch or asphalt.
Tone
Normal firmness of a tissue or an organ.
Pitch
A resin derived from the sap of various coniferous trees, as the pines.
Tone
To give a particular tone or inflection to.
Pitch
The act or an instance of pitching.
Tone
To soften or change the color of (a painting or photographic negative, for example).
Pitch
A throw of the ball by the pitcher to the batter.
Tone
To sound monotonously; intone.
Pitch
A ball so thrown
Hit the pitch into left field.
Tone
To make firmer or stronger. Often used with up
Exercises that tone up the body.
Pitch
(Sports) A playing field. Also called wicket.
Tone
To assume a particular color quality.
Pitch
(Nautical) The alternate dip and rise of a vessel's bow and stern.
Tone
To harmonize in color.
Pitch
The alternate lift and descent of the nose and tail of an airplane.
Tone
(music) A specific pitch.
Pitch
A steep slope.
Tone
(music) (in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
Pitch
The degree of such a slope.
Tone
(music) (in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
Pitch
(Sports) A single interval between ledges or anchors used as belaying points in mountaineering
A climb of six pitches.
Tone
The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
Pitch
The angle of a roof.
Tone
(linguistics) The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
Pitch
The highest point of a structure
The pitch of an arch.
Tone
(dated) A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm and a regular rise and fall of the voice.
Children often read with a tone.
Pitch
A level or degree, as of intensity
Worked at a feverish pitch.
Tone
(literature) The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
Pitch
(Acoustics) The distinctive quality of a sound, dependent primarily on the frequency of the sound waves produced by its source.
Tone
(obsolete) State of mind; temper; mood.
Pitch
(Music) The relative position of a tone within a range of musical sounds, as determined by this quality.
Tone
The shade or quality of a colour.
Pitch
(Music) Any of various standards for this quality associating each tone with a particular frequency.
Tone
The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
This picture has tone.
Pitch
The distance traveled by a machine screw in a single revolution.
Tone
The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ; see also: tonus.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on adjacent screw threads or gear teeth.
Tone
(biology) The state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on a helix.
Tone
(biology) Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
Pitch
The distance that a propeller would travel in an ideal medium during one complete revolution, measured parallel to the shaft of the propeller.
Tone
A gun
Pitch
A line of talk designed to persuade
"[his] pious pitch for ... austerity" (Boston Globe).
Tone
(figuratively)
Pitch
An advertisement.
Tone
The general character, atmosphere, mood, or vibe (of a situation, place, etc.).
Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.
Pitch
Chiefly British The stand of a vendor or hawker.
Tone
(Chiefly in the form lower/raise the tone of something) The quality of being respectable or admirable.
Pitch
(Games) See seven-up.
Tone
(transitive) to give a particular tone to
Pitch
(Printing) The density of characters in a printed line, usually expressed as characters per inch.
Tone
(transitive) to change the colour of
Pitch
To smear or cover with pitch.
Tone
(transitive) to make (something) firmer
Pitch
To throw, usually with careful aim.
Tone
(transitive) to utter with an affected tone.
Pitch
To discard by throwing
Pitched my worn-out sneakers.
Tone
The one (of two)
Pitch
To throw (the ball) from the mound to the batter.
Tone
Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone.
[Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones.
Tones that with seraph hymns might blend.
Pitch
To play (a game or part of a game) as pitcher.
Tone
Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion.
Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.
Pitch
To assign as pitcher
The manager decided to pitch a left-hander.
Tone
A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone.
Pitch
To erect or establish; set up
Pitched a tent.
Pitch camp.
Tone
A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones.
Pitch
To set firmly; implant; embed
Pitched stakes in the ground.
Tone
That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Pitch
To set at a specified downward slant
Pitched the roof at a steep angle.
Tone
Tonicity; as, arterial tone.
Pitch
To set at a particular level, degree, or quality
Pitched her expectations too high.
Tone
State of mind; temper; mood.
The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or temper, to the drudgery of private and public business.
Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
Pitch
(Music) To set the pitch or key of.
Tone
Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory.
Pitch
To adapt so as to be applicable; direct
Pitched his speech to the teenagers in the audience.
Tone
General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.
Pitch
(Informal) To attempt to promote or sell, often in a high-pressure manner
"showed up on local TV to pitch their views" (Business Week).
Tone
The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; - commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone.
Pitch
(Sports) To hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Tone
Quality, with respect to attendant feeling; the more or less variable complex of emotion accompanying and characterizing a sensation or a conceptual state; as, feeling tone; color tone.
Pitch
To lead (a card), thus establishing the trump suit.
Tone
Color quality proper; - called also hue. Also, a gradation of color, either a hue, or a tint or shade.
She was dressed in a soft cloth of a gray tone.
Pitch
To discard (a card other than a trump and different in suit from the card led).
Tone
The condition of normal balance of a healthy plant in its relations to light, heat, and moisture.
Pitch
To throw or toss something, such as a ball, horseshoe, or bale.
Tone
To utter with an affected tone.
Pitch
(Baseball) To play in the position of pitcher.
Tone
To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment.
Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly.
The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictures.
Pitch
To plunge headlong
He pitched over the railing.
Tone
The quality of a person's voice;
He began in a conversational tone
He spoke in a nervous tone of voice
Pitch
To stumble around; lurch.
Tone
(linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages;
The Beijing dialect uses four tones
Pitch
To buck, as a horse.
Tone
(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound);
The timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely
The muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet
Pitch
(Nautical) To dip bow and stern alternately.
Tone
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis so that the nose lifts or descends in relation to the tail. Used of an aircraft.
Tone
A quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color;
After several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis that is both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and horizontal to the earth. Used of a missile or spacecraft.
Tone
A notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound;
The singer held the note too long
Pitch
To slope downward
The hill pitches steeply.
Tone
A steady sound without overtones;
They tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies
Pitch
To set up living quarters; encamp; settle.
Tone
The elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli;
The doctor tested my tonicity
Pitch
(Sports) To hit a golf ball in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Tone
A musical interval of two semitones
Pitch
A sticky, gummy substance secreted by trees; sap.
It is hard to get this pitch off my hand.
Tone
The quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author;
The general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw
From the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome
Pitch
A dark, extremely viscous material remaining in still after distilling crude oil and tar.
They put pitch on the mast to protect it.
The barrel was sealed with pitch.
It was pitch black because there was no moon.
Tone
Utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically;
The students chanted the same slogan over and over again
Pitch
(geology) Pitchstone.
Tone
Of one's speech, varying the pitch
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
A good pitch in quoits
Tone
Change the color or tone of;
Tone a negative
Pitch
(baseball) The act of pitching a baseball.
The pitch was low and inside.
Tone
Change to a color image;
Tone a photographic image
Pitch
The field on which cricket, soccer, rugby, gridiron or field hockey is played. cricket pitch.}} Not often used in the US or Canada, where "field" is the preferred word.
The teams met on the pitch.
Tone
Give a healthy elasticity to;
Let's tone our muscles
Pitch
(rare) The field of battle.
Pitch
An effort to sell or promote something.
He gave me a sales pitch.
Pitch
The distance between evenly spaced objects, e.g. the teeth of a saw or gear, the turns of a screw thread, the centres of holes, or letters in a monospace font.
The pitch of pixels on the point scale is 72 pixels per inch.
The pitch of this saw is perfect for that type of wood.
A helical scan with a pitch of zero is equivalent to constant z-axis scanning.
Pitch
The angle at which an object sits.
The pitch of the roof or haystack
Pitch
The rotation angle about the transverse axis.
Pitch
The degree to which a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, rotates on such an axis, tilting its bow or nose up or down. Compare with roll, yaw, and heave.
The pitch of an aircraft
Pitch
(aviation) A measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
The propeller blades' pitch went to 90° as the engine was feathered.
Pitch
An area in a market (or similar) allocated to a particular trader.
Pitch
(by extension) The place where a busker performs, a prostitute solicits clients, or an illegal gambling game etc. is set up before the public.
Pitch
An area on a campsite intended for occupation by a single tent, caravan or similar.
Pitch
A level or degree, or (by extension), a peak or highest degree.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point of elevation or depression.
Pitch
The most thrust-out point of a headland or cape.
Pitch
Collectively, the outermost points of some part of the body, especially the shoulders or hips.
Pitch
The height a bird reaches in flight, especially a bird of prey preparing to swoop down on its prey.
Pitch
A person's or animal's height.
Pitch
Prominence; importance.
Pitch
(climbing) A section of a climb or rock face; specifically, the climbing distance between belays or stances.
Pitch
(caving) A vertical cave passage, only negotiable by using rope or ladders.
The entrance pitch requires 30 metres of rope.
Pitch
(cricket) That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant.
A steep pitch in the road
The pitch of a roof
Pitch
(mining) The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The perceived frequency of a sound or note.
The pitch of middle "C" is familiar to many musicians.
Pitch
(music) The standard to which a group of musical instruments are tuned or in which a piece is performed, usually by reference to the frequency to which the musical note A above middle C is tuned.
Are we in baroque pitch for this one?
Pitch
(music) In an a cappella group, the singer responsible for singing a note for the other members to tune themselves by.
Bob, our pitch, let out a clear middle "C" and our conductor gave the signal to start.
Pitch
To cover or smear with pitch.
Pitch
To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw.
He pitched the horseshoe.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) toward a batter at home plate.
The hurler pitched a curveball.
He pitched high and inside.
Pitch
To play baseball in the position of pitcher.
Bob pitches today.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw away; discard.
He pitched the candy wrapper.
Pitch
(transitive) To promote, advertise, or attempt to sell.
He pitched the idea for months with no takers.
Pitch
(transitive) To deliver in a certain tone or style, or with a certain audience in mind.
At which level should I pitch my presentation?
Pitch
(transitive) To assemble or erect (a tent).
Pitch the tent over there.
Pitch
(intransitive) To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To move so that the front of an aircraft or boat goes alternatively up and down.
The typhoon pitched the deck of the ship.
The airplane pitched.
Pitch
To play a short, high, lofty shot that lands with backspin.
The only way to get on the green from here is to pitch the ball over the bunker.
Pitch
To bounce on the playing surface.
The ball pitched well short of the batsman.
Pitch
To settle and build up, without melting.
Pitch
To alight; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
Pitch
(with on or upon) To fix one's choice.
Pitch
(intransitive) To plunge or fall; especially, to fall forward; to decline or slope.
To pitch from a precipice
The field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones.
Pitch
To set or fix.
Pitch
To discard for some gain.
Pitch
To attack, or position or assemble for attack.
Pitch
(intransitive) To produce a note of a given pitch.
Pitch
(transitive) To fix or set the tone of.
Pitch
A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope, canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
Pitch
See Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.
Pitch
That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the pitch of heaven, downInto this deep.
Enterprises of great pitch and moment.
To lowest pitch of abject fortune.
He lived when learning was at its highest pitch.
The exact pitch, or limits, where temperance ends.
Pitch
Height; stature.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant; as, a steep pitch in the road; the pitch of a roof.
Pitch
The relative acuteness or gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and low.
Pitch
The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing, measured on the pitch line; - called also circular pitch.
Pitch
The distance between symmetrically arranged or corresponding parts of an armature, measured along a line, called the pitch line, drawn around its length. Sometimes half of this distance is called the pitch.
Pitch
To cover over or smear with pitch.
Pitch
Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
The welkin pitched with sullen could.
Pitch
To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pitch a ball.
Pitch
To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to arrange; as, to pitch a tent; to pitch a camp.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Pitch
To fix or set the tone of; as, to pitch a tune.
Pitch
To set or fix, as a price or value.
Pitch
To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees] pitch.
Pitch
To fix one's choise; - with on or upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
Pitch
To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward; to decline or slope; as, to pitch from a precipice; the vessel pitches in a heavy sea; the field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
The property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Pitch
(baseball) the throwing of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
Pitch
A vendor's position (especially on the sidewalk);
He was employed to see that his paper's news pitches were not trespassed upon by rival vendors
Pitch
Promotion by means of an argument and demonstration
Pitch
Degree of deviation from a horizontal plane;
The roof had a steep pitch
Pitch
Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
Pitch
A high approach shot in golf
Pitch
An all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
Pitch
Abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance);
The pitching and tossing was quite exciting
Pitch
The action or manner of throwing something;
His pitch fell short and his hat landed on the floor
Pitch
Throw or toss with a light motion;
Flip me the beachball
Toss me newspaper
Pitch
Move abruptly;
The ship suddenly lurched to the left
Pitch
Fall or plunge forward;
She pitched over the railing of the balcony
Pitch
Set to a certain pitch;
He pitched his voice very low
Pitch
Sell or offer for sale from place to place
Pitch
Be at an angle;
The terrain sloped down
Pitch
Heel over;
The tower is tilting
The ceiling is slanting
Pitch
Erect and fasten;
Pitch a tent
Pitch
Throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball;
The pitcher delivered the ball
Pitch
Hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin
Pitch
Lead (a card) and establish the trump suit
Pitch
Set the level or character of;
She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience
Common Curiosities
What determines the tone of a sound?
The tone is determined by the source of the sound, including the instrument or voice, and its unique physical and material properties.
How is pitch measured?
Pitch is measured in Hertz (Hz), representing the frequency of sound waves.
How do musicians control tone?
Musicians control tone through technique, choice of instrument, and modifications to the instrument's setup or playing environment.
Can electronic devices modify tone?
Yes, electronic devices like synthesizers and effects pedals can significantly alter or create new tones.
How does aging affect pitch perception?
Aging can affect hearing, potentially making it harder to perceive high frequencies, which could impact pitch perception.
How does the environment affect tone?
The acoustics of an environment can significantly affect the tone, altering its resonance, clarity, and overall character.
Can two instruments have the same pitch but different tones?
Yes, two instruments can play the same pitch but have different tones due to their distinct timbral characteristics.
How does pitch affect music?
Pitch is foundational to music, affecting melody, harmony, and the overall structure of musical compositions.
Is tone subjective?
Yes, tone is somewhat subjective, as its perception can vary based on the listener's experience and the context.
What is the importance of tone in speech?
Tone in speech conveys emotions, attitudes, and nuances in meaning, enhancing communication effectiveness.
What is the difference between pitch and volume?
Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is, while volume measures the loudness or intensity of the sound.
Can pitch perception vary among individuals?
While pitch perception is generally consistent, individuals may experience slight variations, particularly in the extremes of the pitch range or in cases of hearing impairments.
What is perfect pitch?
Perfect pitch is the ability to identify or recreate a musical note without any reference pitch, relying on an innate sense of pitch.
Are there instruments that produce a fixed tone?
Some instruments, like certain percussion instruments, may produce sounds with less tonal variation, but most musical instruments offer a range of tones.
What role does pitch play in language?
In tonal languages, pitch can distinguish word meanings, while in non-tonal languages, it contributes to intonation and emotional expression.
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