Question

Why is timbre an important musical element

Answer 1

It's a catchall category for sound characteristics that are not pitch, loudness, duration, or spatial location, and it helps us judge whether a piano, flute, or organ is what we're listening to.

Answer 2

Timbre refers to the character, texture, and colour of a sound that defines it. It's a catchall category for the features of sound that are not pitch, loudness, duration, or spatial location, and it helps us judge whether what we're listening to is a piano, flute, or organ