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foundation · Orchestration / Schafer

Sound Source

Identify instruments by sound alone

A musical sound plays. Identify the instrument. Start with broad categories (strings/winds/brass/percussion/voice/electronic), then narrow to specific instruments. Develops the timbral dimension of hearing that complements pitch and rhythm.

How it works

  1. 1.
    Hear the sound
    A single instrument plays a short passage (3-5 seconds).
  2. 2.
    Identify the instrument
    Select from options. Foundation: 6 broad categories. Developing: 15 specific instruments. Advanced: 30+ including variants (nylon vs steel guitar, soprano vs alto sax).
  3. 3.
    Describe what you noticed
    Optional: select descriptors (bright, warm, nasal, hollow, metallic) to build timbral vocabulary.

Cadence

~5 min · 3× per week · 4 weeks to competency
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