One way to represent sound as a function of frequency is to display amplitude on the y-axis and frequency on the x-axis. This shows the pitch of one sound relative to another.

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Sounds have measurable characteristics that can indicate how effective a sound will be at creating a desired effect. A technique that portrays these characteristics is called sound visualization. On a graph, the x-axis portrays one characteristic (such as time) and the y-axis portrays another characteristic (such as amplitude). In some cases, a characteristic is graphed using only a single axis.

These guidelines describe how sound can be visualized as a function of time, frequency (how high-pitched or low-pitched a sound is), or timbre (the character of a sound).

* Time
* Frequency
* Timbre

Representing Sound

Material Design Documentation

To represent sound as a function of time, display time on the x-axis and amplitude on the y-axis. This graph shows the shape of a sound over time, so that the sharpness (or softness) of its peaks are apparent.


Time

Frequency

Timbre is the perceptual quality that allows listeners to distinguish between different sounds, even when those sounds have the same pitch (frequency) and loudness (amplitude). Described as a sound's purity or character, timbre is determined by the complex interplay of a sound wave's frequency, amplitude, and timing. This quality explains why different musical instruments playing an identical note at the same volume still sound distinct from one another.

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