sonorities
Full musical qualities
Sonorities are the qualities of sound, especially their depth, richness, or resonance.
In music, a sonority is a particular combination of tones heard together—the overall sound character of a chord or passage: The composer explored unusual sonorities by combining brass and strings in unconventional ways.
The term often emphasizes how sounds feel to the ear rather than their technical structure.
Harmonious sound combination
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- chordsSimultaneous note combinations
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
- counterpointSimultaneous independent melodies
triad · interval · tonality · cadence · concord · homophony · voicing · blend
Quality of sound
- textureSurface tactile quality
- colorVisual hue property
- warmthHeat you feel
- brightnessDegree of light emitted
richness · depth · resonance · fullness · clarity · mellowness · sharpness · roundness
Prolonged reflected sound
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- echoReflected sound wave
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
frequency · decay · sustain · diffusion · absorption · reflection · propagation · damping
Letters with unblocked airflow
- dictionChoice of words
- placementPutting somewhere specific
- projectionSomething that extends outward
- legatoUnbroken musical phrasing
vibrato · registers · articulation · phonation · throatiness · breathiness · openness
consonance
Harmonious sound combination
- dissonanceLack of harmony
- chordsSimultaneous note combinations
- polyphonySimultaneous independent melodic lines
counterpoint · triad · interval · tonality · cadence · concord · homophony · voicing · blend · clustering
tone
Quality of sound
brightness · richness · depth · resonance · fullness · clarity · mellowness · sharpness · roundness · nasality
reverberation
Prolonged reflected sound
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- vibrationRapid oscillating movement
- echoReflected sound wave
amplitude · frequency · decay · sustain · diffusion · absorption · reflection · propagation · damping · attenuation
vowels
Letters with unblocked airflow
- dictionChoice of words
- placementPutting somewhere specific
- projectionSomething that extends outward
legato · vibrato · registers · articulation · phonation · throatiness · breathiness · openness
instrumentation
Design of measuring devices
texture · layering · ensemble · blend · balance · register · tessitura · tutti · chamber · sectional
sonoritiessilences
Stops from speaking
silence · muteness · stillness · soundlessness · quiet
sonoritiescacophonies
Harsh, discordant sound combinations
dissonances · cacophony · dissonance · stridencies · discordance