This paper presents a time-domain technique based solely on simple operations, like filtering and scaling, to continuously track sound brightness and pitch. In opposition to existing algorithms this approach does not rely on input framing or frequency-domain transforms, ensuring a better temporal resolution and the possibility to model analog-like implementations. In the first part of the document we present the details of our approach to brightness estimation; then we will compare CoBE to the brightness estimation implemented in MIR Toolbox; we introduce and define the concept of “Equivalent Brightness Frequency” (EBF) and finally we show how to exploit CoBE and EBF to obtain a rough monophonic pitch estimator or an efficient pre-processor for zero crossing rate (ZCR) pitch trackers.