Acoustic instrument sounds constantly change even during steady-state portions

Evidence

The middle portion of the sound object used to be called the stationary or steady-state portion, but it is better to call it the body, because nothing about sound is ever really stationary. — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 444 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

By way of a caveat it should be noted that these figures are presented to provide only examples of the general nature of the acoustics of the note onset phases for these instruments. Had these notes been played at a different loudness, by a different player, on a different instrument, in a different environment, or even just a second time by the same player on the same instrument in the same place while attempting to keep all details con­ stant, the waveforms and spectra would probably be noticeably different. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1473 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Piano strings and soundboards can exchange energy producing audible loudness shimmer; Even identical instruments playing in unison produce uncorrelated waveforms.; All information-bearing sound must vary over time (+3 more)

Related

• No part of a sound is ever truly stationary (similarity 0.88)
• Even steady musical notes constantly change in their sound (similarity 0.87)
• All information-bearing sound must vary over time (similarity 0.84)
• Musical instrument notes have a gradual onset before steady state (similarity 0.83)
• A barely audible sound moves air only a few atoms’ width (similarity 0.83)
• Even identical notes vary measurably across every repeat performance (similarity 0.82)
• Instrument note onsets vary hugely across takes, players, and environments (similarity 0.82)
• Even steady-state musical notes vary in amplitude envelope over time. (similarity 0.81)
• Even identical instruments playing in unison produce uncorrelated waveforms. (similarity 0.81)
• A steady-sounding note still has amplitude envelope variation within it (similarity 0.81)
• Instrument identity depends largely on attack and release transients, not steady tone (similarity 0.81)
• Instrument sound envelopes are described by attack, decay, sustain, and release phases (similarity 0.81)
• Individual instrument note onsets are irreproducible even under identical conditions (similarity 0.81)
• Onset attack mechanisms are vital acoustic cues to instrument identity (similarity 0.80)
• An instrument’s normal attack transient is essential to its characteristic timbre (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• No part of a sound is ever truly stationary #corroborates (0.90) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 444
• Steady-state comb-filter measurements fail to represent how transient sounds are heard #complicates (0.75)
• Instrument note onsets vary hugely across takes, players, and environments #expands (0.70) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1473