Earcon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An earcon is a brief, structured sound pattern used to represent a specific item or event but is not to be confused with an Auditory Icon. The term was coined in 1989. The earcon can be parameterized by specific attributes of the item or event. Although likely to be used in a computer/user interface, an example could also be a five-day weather forecast on a local news program where each day's temperatures set the pitches in a five tone sequence. Earcons are generally not auditory caricatures of the signified, that is, they are abstract rhythmic / melodic patterns rather than everyday sounds.