What is a triangle wave in music?

In music, a triangle wave is a type of sound wave that looks like a series of triangles on a display, showing how sound waves move. It’s one of the basic shapes of sound waves, along with others like sine and square waves.

In simple terms, a triangle wave sounds clear and bright because its shape moves straight up and down in a repeating pattern. This pattern helps create a unique tone that you might hear in electronic music or sound effects.

A triangle wave sounds somewhat softer than a square wave but sharper than a sine wave. It has a “hollow” tone because it contains fewer harmonics, which are extra tones that mix with the main tone to enrich the sound. In technical terms, the harmonics in a triangle wave decrease faster than in a square wave, which is why it sounds less harsh.

Musicians and sound engineers use triangle waves to create specific feelings in music or to add unique sounds. They can be generated by synthesizers or other electronic instruments that allow you to shape how the sound behaves.