Thread: How to translate this?

Originally Posted by diegonel

regarding you question I guess you mean "tono de voz!

Cheers
Diegonel

I agree with Diegonel 100%

In English "pitch" refers to the highness or lowness of the sound. Singers can be "off-pitch" meaning they didn't hit the note exactly. "Tone" can refer to the quality of the sound, regardless of the pitch. (But, it can also refer to a particular note.)

So, if the original context refers to the accuracy of the note, I would use "pitch" in English, but if it refers to the quality of the sound, I would use "tone" in a phrase like "a rich tone," for example.

It seems to me that "tono" is used for both in Spanish. Is there some way to clarify the distinction in Spanish? It seems to me that "tono, timbre, coloración, color" all refer to the quality of the sound. How do you refer, in Spanish, to the accuracy of the note? Does "tesitura" refer to accuracy?

Oh, I see now. Allow me to make a second attempt.

We say in Spanish AFINACIÓN (n) AFINADO/A (adj.) when we mean to sing or play sounds with the perfect note on tone.

There is also: IMPOSTACIÓN (n) IMPOSTADA (adj.) “impostación de la voz/voz bien impostada” when we exactly refer to how you are using your vocal cords, and where exactly your voice is coming from, either if a vacillation makes your voice sound dirty or not.

ENTONACIÓN (n) ENTONADO/A (adj.) when you are using the assigned tone even if you are able to use a higher or lower tone, or are not mistakenly reproducing a different tone.


A concert pitch for instance, “Concierto para piano en Do Mayor” concierto en determinado tono.

When we talk about the position of a tone in a standard scale independently determined by its rate of vibration, we say “NOTA”.

- ¿En qué nota debo cantar ésto?
- En Fa.
- Canté en Sol
- Desentonaste

If you fail to physically govern your voice then you “Desafinas”.

May I then see the whole sentence?


So Mariaklec, as you say "off-pitch" means DESENTONADO or DESAFINADO?
Should it also mean MAL IMPOSTADO/DESIMPOSTADO?

When saying "tone" you then can be speaking about TESITURA or BUENA O MALA IMPOSTACIÓN?

So maybe it's like this:

voice = tesitura (soprano, tenor, bass, etc)
pitch = afinación (the singer has good pitch, hits the note accurately)
key = tono (Concerto in the key of D major)
note = nota (that note is a D sharp not a D flat)

¿Cuál es su tesitura? Es soprano.
What voice does she sing? She's a soprano.

¿Canta bien? No, canta desfinadamente/desentonadamente.
Does she sing well? No, she sings off pitch.

¿En cuál tono es la cancion? Do mayor.
What key is the song in? It's in C Major.

¿Qué es la primera nota de la escala? Es C.
What is the first note of the scale? It's C.

I'm confident about the English. Is my Spanish any good?