Fundamental Frequencies Of Musical Notes In A=432 & A=440 Hz
When EQing an audio signal or choosing a microphone based upon its frequency response, known the frequency range of the sound source is important. Though it’s easy to find out the range of possible notes in an instrument, it’s a bit trickier to under the fundamental frequencies and harmonics of the sound source to truly comprehend its sonic character.
In this article, I present to you two tables of musical notes (in A=432 tuning and A=440 tuning) with their coinciding fundamental frequencies and fundamental wavelengths.
A Few Notes Before We Get Started
I’ll be using the modern equal temperament system, which approximates 12 just intervals by dividing an octave into equal steps.
Note also that I’ll be taking the speed of sound to be equal to 343.2 m/s (1,125 ft/s; 1,235 km/h; 767 mph). This is the speed of sound in air at standard atmospheric pressure and temperature.
This list will start with the lowest note of the Bb Octocontrabass Clarinet which is an A#-1 at 14.5 Hz in A=440. The list will end with the highest note of the extended piano which is a B8 at 7902 Hz in A=440.
Middle C is C4.
With those notes out of the way, let’s start with the more commonly used A=440 Hz:
Click here to skip ahead to the A=432 Hz table.
Frequencies Of Musical Notes In A=440 Hz
Musical Note | Fundamental Frequency | Fundamental Wavelength |
---|---|---|
A#/Bb-1 | 14.568 Hz *infrasound* | 23.558 m 77.292 ft |
B-1 | 15.434 Hz *infrasound* | 22.237 m 72.955 ft |
C0 | 16.352 Hz *infrasound* | 20.988 m 68.859 ft |
C#/Db0 | 17.324 Hz *infrasound* | 19.811 m 64.996 ft |
D0 | 18.354 Hz *infrasound* | 18.699 m 61.348 ft |
D#/Eb0 | 19.445 Hz *infrasound* | 17.650 m 57.906 ft |
E0 | 20.602 Hz | 16.659 m 54.654 ft |
F0 | 21.827 Hz | 15.724 m 51.587 ft |
F#/Gb0 | 23.125 Hz | 14.841 m 48.691 ft |
G0 | 24.500 Hz | 14.008 m 45.959 ft |
G#/Ab0 | 25.957 Hz | 13.222 m 43.379 ft |
A0 | 27.500 Hz | 12.480 m 40.945 ft |
A#/Bb0 | 29.135 Hz | 11.780 m 38.647 ft |
B0 | 30.868 Hz | 11.118 m 36.477 ft |
C1 | 32.703 Hz | 10.494 m 34.431 ft |
C#/Db1 | 34.648 Hz | 9.9053 m 32.498 ft |
D1 | 36.708 Hz | 9.3495 m 30.674 ft |
D#/Eb1 | 38.891 Hz | 8.8247 m 28.952 ft |
E1 | 41.203 Hz | 8.3295 m 27.328 ft |
F1 | 43.654 Hz | 7.8618 m 25.793 ft |
F#/Gb1 | 46.249 Hz | 7.4207 m 24.346 ft |
G1 | 49.000 Hz | 7.0041 m 22.979 ft |
G#/Ab1 | 51.913 Hz | 6.6111 m 21.690 ft |
A1 | 55.000 Hz | 6.2400 m 20.472 ft |
A#/Bb1 | 58.270 Hz | 5.8898 m 19.324 ft |
B1 | 61.735 Hz | 5.5592 m 18.239 ft |
C2 | 65.406 Hz | 5.2472 m 17.215 ft |
C#/Db2 | 69.296 Hz | 4.9527 m 16.249 ft |
D2 | 73.416 Hz | 4.6747 m 15.337 ft |
D#/Eb2 | 77.782 Hz | 4.4123 m 14.476 ft |
E2 | 82.407 Hz | 4.1647 m 13.664 ft |
F2 | 87.307 Hz | 3.9310 m 12.897 ft |
F#/Gb2 | 92.499 Hz | 3.7103 m 12.173 ft |
G2 | 97.999 Hz | 3.5021 m 11.490 ft |
G#/Ab2 | 103.83 Hz | 3.3054 m 10.844 ft |
A2 | 110.00 Hz | 3.1200 m 10.236 ft |
A#/Bb2 | 116.54 Hz | 2.9449 m 9.6618 ft |
B2 | 123.47 Hz | 2.7796 m 9.1195 ft |
C3 | 130.81 Hz | 2.6237 m 8.6078 ft |
C#/Db3 | 138.59 Hz | 2.4764 m 8.1246 ft |
D3 | 146.83 Hz | 2.3374 m 7.6686 ft |
D#/Eb3 | 155.56 Hz | 2.2062 m 7.2383 ft |
E3 | 164.81 Hz | 2.0824 m 6.8320 ft |
F3 | 174.61 Hz | 1.9655 m 6.4486 ft |
F#/Gb3 | 185.00 Hz | 1.8551 m 6.0864 ft |
G3 | 196.00 Hz | 1.7510 m 5.7448 ft |
G#/Ab3 | 207.65 Hz | 1.6528 m 5.4225 ft |
A3 | 220.00 Hz | 1.5600 m 5.1181 ft |
A#/Bb3 | 233.08 Hz | 1.4725 m 4.8309 ft |
B3 | 246.94 Hz | 1.3898 m 4.5597 ft |
C4 | 261.63 Hz | 1.3118 m 4.3037 ft |
C#/Db4 | 277.18 Hz | 1.2382 m 4.0623 ft |
D4 | 293.66 Hz | 1.1687 m 3.8343 ft |
D#/Eb4 | 311.13 Hz | 1.1031 m 3.6190 ft |
E4 | 329.63 Hz | 1.0412 m 3.4159 ft |
F4 | 349.23 Hz | 982.73 mm 3.2242 ft |
F#/Gb4 | 369.99 Hz | 927.59 mm 3.0433 ft |
G4 | 392.00 Hz | 875.51 mm 2.8724 ft |
G#/Ab4 | 415.30 Hz | 826.39 mm 2.7113 ft |
A4 | 440.00 Hz | 780.00 mm 2.5591 ft |
A#/Bb4 | 466.16 Hz | 736.23 mm 2.4154 ft |
B4 | 493.88 Hz | 694.91 mm 2.2799 ft |
C5 | 523.15 Hz | 656.03 mm 2.1523 ft |
C#/Db5 | 554.37 Hz | 619.08 mm 2.0311 ft |
D5 | 587.33 Hz | 584.34 mm 1.9171 ft |
D#/Eb5 | 622.25 Hz | 551.55 mm 1.8095 ft |
E5 | 659.26 Hz | 520.58 mm 1.7080 ft |
F5 | 698.46 Hz | 491.37 mm 1.6121 ft |
F#/Gb5 | 739.99 Hz | 463.79 mm 1.5216 ft |
G5 | 783.99 Hz | 437.76 mm 1.4362 ft |
G#/Ab5 | 830.61 Hz | 413.19 mm 1.3556 ft |
A5 | 880.00 Hz | 390.00 mm 1.2795 ft |
A#/Bb5 | 932.33 Hz | 368.11 mm 1.2077 ft |
B5 | 987.77 Hz | 347.45 mm 1.1399 ft |
C6 | 1046.5 Hz | 327.95 mm 1.0760 ft |
C#/Db6 | 1108.7 Hz | 309.55 mm 1.0156 ft |
D6 | 1174.7 Hz | 292.16 mm 11.502 in |
D#/Eb6 | 1244.5 Hz | 275.77 mm 10.857 in |
E6 | 1318.5 Hz | 260.30 mm 10.248 in |
F6 | 1396.9 Hz | 245.69 mm 9.6727 in |
F#/Gb6 | 1480.0 Hz | 231.89 mm 9.1296 in |
G6 | 1568.0 Hz | 218.88 mm 8.6172 in |
G#/Ab6 | 1661.2 Hz | 206.60 mm 8.1338 in |
A6 | 1760.0 Hz | 195.00 mm 7.6772 in |
A#/Bb6 | 1864.7 Hz | 184.05 mm 7.2461 in |
B6 | 1975.5 Hz | 173.73 mm 6.8397 in |
C6 | 2093.0 Hz | 163.98 mm 6.4557 in |
C#/Db7 | 2217.5 Hz | 154.77 mm 6.0933 in |
D7 | 2349.3 Hz | 146.09 mm 5.7514 in |
D#/Eb7 | 2489.0 Hz | 137.89 mm 5.4286 in |
E7 | 2637.0 Hz | 130.15 mm 5.1239 in |
F7 | 2793.8 Hz | 122.84 mm 4.8364 in |
F#/Gb7 | 2960.0 Hz | 115.95 mm 4.5648 in |
G7 | 3136.0 Hz | 109.44 mm 4.3086 in |
G#/Ab7 | 3322.4 Hz | 103.30 mm 4.0669 in |
A7 | 3520.0 Hz | 97.500 mm 3.8386 in |
A#/Bb7 | 3729.3 Hz | 92.028 mm 3.6231 in |
B7 | 3951.1 Hz | 86.862 mm 3.4198 in |
C8 | 4186.0 Hz | 81.988 mm 3.2279 in |
C#/Db8 | 4434.9 Hz | 77.386 mm 3.0467 in |
D8 | 4698.6 Hz | 73.043 mm 2.8757 in |
D#/Eb8 | 4978.0 Hz | 68.943 mm 2.7143 in |
E8 | 5274.0 Hz | 65.074 mm 2.562 in |
F8 | 5587.7 Hz | 61.421 mm 2.4181 in |
F#/Gb8 | 5920.0 Hz | 57.973 mm 2.2824 in |
G8 | 6271.9 Hz | 54.720 mm 2.1543 in |
G#/Ab8 | 6644.9 Hz | 51.649 mm 2.0334 in |
A8 | 7040.0 Hz | 48.750 mm 1.9193 in |
A#/Bb8 | 7458.6 Hz | 46.014 mm 1.8116 in |
B8 | 7902.1 Hz | 43.431 mm 1.7099 in |
Frequencies Of Musical Notes In A=432 Hz
Musical Note | Fundamental Frequency | Fundamental Wavelength |
---|---|---|
A#/Bb-1 | 14.303 Hz *infrasound* | 23.995 m 78.724 ft |
B-1 | 15.153 Hz *infrasound* | 22.649 m 74.308 ft |
C0 | 16.054 Hz *infrasound* | 21.378 m 70.137 ft |
C#/Db0 | 17.009 Hz *infrasound* | 20.178 m 66.199 ft |
D0 | 18.020 Hz *infrasound* | 19.046 m 62.485 ft |
D#/Eb0 | 19.092 Hz *infrasound* | 17.976 m 58.977 ft |
E0 | 20.227 Hz | 16.967 m 55.667 ft |
F0 | 21.430 Hz | 16.015 m 52.542 ft |
F#/Gb0 | 22.704 Hz | 15.116 m 49.594 ft |
G0 | 24.054 Hz | 14.268 m 46.811 ft |
G#/Ab0 | 25.485 Hz | 13.467 m 44.182 ft |
A0 | 27.000 Hz | 12.711 m 41.703 ft |
A#/Bb0 | 28.606 Hz | 11.997 m 39.362 ft |
B0 | 30.306 Hz | 11.324 m 37.154 ft |
C1 | 32.109 Hz | 10.689 m 35.068 ft |
C#/Db1 | 34.018 Hz | 10.089 m 33.100 ft |
D1 | 36.041 Hz | 9.5225 m 31.242 ft |
D#/Eb1 | 38.184 Hz | 8.9881 m 29.488 ft |
E1 | 40.454 Hz | 8.4837 m 27.834 ft |
F1 | 42.860 Hz | 8.0075 m 26.271 ft |
F#/Gb1 | 45.409 Hz | 7.5580 m 24.796 ft |
G1 | 48.109 Hz | 7.1338 m 23.405 ft |
G#/Ab1 | 50.969 Hz | 6.7335 m 22.092 ft |
A1 | 54.000 Hz | 6.3556 m 20.852 ft |
A#/Bb1 | 57.211 Hz | 5.9988 m 19.681 ft |
B1 | 60.613 Hz | 5.6622 m 18.577 ft |
C2 | 64.217 Hz | 5.3444 m 17.534 ft |
C#/Db2 | 68.036 Hz | 5.0444 m 16.550 ft |
D2 | 72.081 Hz | 4.7613 m 15.621 ft |
D#/Eb2 | 76.368 Hz | 4.4940 m 14.744 ft |
E2 | 80.909 Hz | 4.2418 m 13.917 ft |
F2 | 85.720 Hz | 4.0037 m 13.136 ft |
F#/Gb2 | 90.817 Hz | 3.7790 m 12.398 ft |
G2 | 96.217 Hz | 3.5669 m 11.703 ft |
G#/Ab2 | 101.94 Hz | 3.3667 m 11.046 ft |
A2 | 108.00 Hz | 3.1778 m 10.426 ft |
A#/Bb2 | 114.42 Hz | 2.9995 m 9.8408 ft |
B2 | 121.23 Hz | 2.8310 m 9.2880 ft |
C3 | 128.43 Hz | 2.6723 m 8.7673 ft |
C#/Db3 | 136.07 Hz | 2.5222 m 8.2750 ft |
D3 | 144.16 Hz | 2.3807 m 7.8107 ft |
D#/Eb3 | 152.74 Hz | 2.2470 m 7.3719 ft |
E3 | 161.82 Hz | 2.1209 m 6.9583 ft |
F3 | 171.44 Hz | 2.0019 m 6.5678 ft |
F#/Gb3 | 181.63 Hz | 1.8896 m 6.1993 ft |
G3 | 192.43 Hz | 1.7835 m 5.8514 ft |
G#/Ab3 | 203.88 Hz | 1.6833 m 5.5228 ft |
A3 | 216.00 Hz | 1.5889 m 5.2129 ft |
A#/Bb3 | 228.84 Hz | 1.4997 m 4.9204 ft |
B3 | 242.45 Hz | 1.4155 m 4.6442 ft |
C4 | 256.87 Hz | 1.3361 m 4.3835 ft |
C#/Db4 | 272.14 Hz | 1.2611 m 4.1375 ft |
D4 | 288.33 Hz | 1.1903 m 3.9052 ft |
D#/Eb4 | 305.47 Hz | 1.1235 m 3.6861 ft |
E4 | 323.63 Hz | 1.0605 m 3.4792 ft |
F4 | 342.88 Hz | 1.0009 m 3.2839 ft |
F#/Gb4 | 363.27 Hz | 944.75 mm 3.0996 ft |
G4 | 384.87 Hz | 891.73 mm 2.9256 ft |
G#/Ab4 | 407.75 Hz | 841.69 mm 2.7615 ft |
A4 | 432.00 Hz | 794.44 mm 2.6064 ft |
A#/Bb4 | 457.69 Hz | 749.85 mm 2.4601 ft |
B4 | 484.90 Hz | 707.77 mm 2.3221 ft |
C5 | 513.74 Hz | 668.04 mm 2.1917 ft |
C#/Db5 | 544.29 Hz | 630.55 mm 2.0687 ft |
D5 | 576.65 Hz | 595.16 mm 1.9526 ft |
D#/Eb5 | 610.94 Hz | 561.76 mm 1.843 ft |
E5 | 647.27 Hz | 530.23 mm 1.7396 ft |
F5 | 685.76 Hz | 500.47 mm 1.6420 ft |
F#/Gb5 | 726.54 Hz | 472.38 mm 1.5498 ft |
G5 | 769.74 Hz | 445.86 mm 1.4628 ft |
G#/Ab5 | 815.51 Hz | 420.84 mm 1.3807 ft |
A5 | 864.00 Hz | 397.22 mm 1.3032 ft |
A#/Bb5 | 915.38 Hz | 374.93 mm 1.2301 ft |
B5 | 969.81 Hz | 353.88 mm 1.1610 ft |
C6 | 1027.5 Hz | 334.01 mm 1.0958 ft |
C#/Db6 | 1088.6 Hz | 315.27 mm 1.0343 ft |
D6 | 1153.3 Hz | 297.58 mm 11.716 in |
D#/Eb6 | 1221.9 Hz | 280.87 mm 11.058 in |
E6 | 1294.5 Hz | 265.12 mm 10.438 in |
F6 | 1371.5 Hz | 250.24 mm 9.8518 in |
F#/Gb6 | 1453.1 Hz | 236.18 mm 9.2986 in |
G6 | 1539.5 Hz | 222.93 mm 8.7768 in |
G#/Ab6 | 1631.0 Hz | 210.42 mm 8.2844 in |
A6 | 1728.0 Hz | 198.61 mm 7.8193 in |
A#/Bb6 | 1830.8 Hz | 187.46 mm 7.3803 in |
B6 | 1939.6 Hz | 176.94 mm 6.9663 in |
C6 | 2055.0 Hz | 167.01 mm 6.5751 in |
C#/Db7 | 2177.1 Hz | 157.64 mm 6.2063 in |
D7 | 2306.6 Hz | 148.79 mm 5.8579 in |
D#/Eb7 | 2443.8 Hz | 140.44 mm 5.529 in |
E7 | 2589.1 Hz | 132.56 mm 5.2187 in |
F7 | 2743.0 Hz | 125.12 mm 4.9259 in |
F#/Gb7 | 2906.1 Hz | 118.10 mm 4.6495 in |
G7 | 3078.9 Hz | 111.47 mm 4.3885 in |
G#/Ab7 | 3262.0 Hz | 105.21 mm 4.1422 in |
A7 | 3456.0 Hz | 99.306 mm 3.9097 in |
A#/Bb7 | 3661.5 Hz | 93.732 mm 3.6902 in |
B7 | 3879.2 Hz | 88.472 mm 3.4831 in |
C8 | 4109.9 Hz | 83.506 mm 3.2876 in |
C#/Db8 | 4354.3 Hz | 78.819 mm 3.1031 in |
D8 | 4613.2 Hz | 74.395 mm 2.9289 in |
D#/Eb8 | 4887.5 Hz | 70.220 mm 2.7646 in |
E8 | 5178.2 Hz | 66.278 mm 2.6094 in |
F8 | 5486.1 Hz | 62.558 mm 2.4629 in |
F#/Gb8 | 5812.3 Hz | 59.047 mm 2.3247 in |
G8 | 6157.9 Hz | 55.733 mm 2.1942 in |
G#/Ab8 | 6524.1 Hz | 52.605 mm 2.0711 in |
A8 | 6912.0 Hz | 49.653 mm 1.9548 in |
A#/Bb8 | 7323.0 Hz | 46.866 mm 1.8451 in |
B8 | 7758.5 Hz | 44.235 mm 1.7415 in |
To better understand how we can make sense of the frequencies of musical notes, let’s have a look at the general frequency bands in mixing. Let’s also discuss the fundamental frequency ranges of common instruments along with their harmonic content. Finally, because this is a website about microphones, we’ll discuss microphone frequency response.
The Frequency Bands Of Human Hearing
Let’s improve our knowledge of musical notes and frequencies by learning about the frequency bands of sound.
Frequencies of sound waves (and other waves) are often separated into bands. These bands are smaller ranges within the audible range and we, as humans, tend to hear each band slightly differently.
As an aside, the range of human hearing is universally known to be 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz. Sounds above this range are called ultrasound while sounds under this range are known as infrasound.
But humans do not hear all frequencies equally. Rather, our ears have their own frequency responses. If that’s not complicated enough, each person has a slightly different hearing response and these hearing responses change (for the worse) as we get older.
The Fletcher-Munson curves show the typical hearing sensitivities of human beings:
As we see above, we are most sensitive to sounds in the range of 2 kHz to 5 kHz. This is where much of our speech intelligibility lies regardless of language.
We are much less sensitive to low-end frequencies and are also not-so-sensitive to the high-end frequencies. Keep that in mind as we go through the bands
The Frequency Bands Of The Sound/Audio Spectrum
The frequency bands within the audible range of sound are not universally agreed upon. Even though audio mixing engineers will have differing opinions on the number of bands and the frequency ranges they own, most professionals will understand the relative ranges and their impact on human hearing.
With that said, let’s get into one rendition of the audible frequency bands:
Audible Frequency Band | Frequency Range |
---|---|
Sub-Bass | 20 Hz - 60 Hz |
Bass | 60 Hz - 250 Hz |
Lower Midrange | 250 Hz - 500 Hz |
Midrange | 500 Hz - 2,000 Hz |
Upper Midrange | 2,000 Hz - 4,000 Hz |
Presence | 4,000 Hz - 6,000 Hz |
Brilliance | 6,000 Hz - 20,000 Hz |
Sub-Bass (20 Hz – 60 Hz)
Some instruments, like the pipe organ, contrabassoon, and bass guitar have low notes that extend into the sub-bass frequency band.
Sound frequencies in this band a typical felt physically more than they are heard. Think of the feeling the low-end of a loud kick drum at a concert and you’ll have a sense of feeling a more transient sub-bass frequency.
Low-end rumble, electromagnetic interference, and handling noise are commonly found in this range.
Therefore, high-pass filters are commonly engaged in microphones and other audio equipment to cut out the sub-bass range.
For more information on microphone high-pass filters, check out my article What Is A Microphone High-Pass Filter And Why Use One?
This is particularly useful with instruments that do not naturally produce sound in the sub-bass range, to begin with.
- Too much energy in the sub-bass will feel overwhelming to the listener and quickly eat up the headroom in an audio mix.
- Too little sub-bass will thin out the sound if there are actual sources that are producing notes in this range.
Bass (60 Hz – 250 Hz)
The bass range is home to many of the fundamental frequencies of our typical “bass” instruments (bass guitar, tuba, contrabassoon, etc.) and provides power and fullness in sound and in audio mixes.
- Too much energy in the bass range will sound overly boomy and unclear. These bass frequencies also take up a lot of a mix’s headroom.
- Too little energy in the bass range will cause a shallow sound with no power.
Lower Midrange (250 Hz – 500 Hz)
The lower midrange contains many low-order harmonics of bass instruments (first, second, third, fourth, and even fifth harmonics). It also hosts many of the fundamental frequencies of various instruments.
Therefore, the lower midrange is home to the presence and clarity of bass instruments, and the power of non-bass instruments.
- Too much energy in the lower mid-range will quickly muddy up a mix and/or acoustic listening experience.
- Not enough energy in the lower midrange will cause a thin-sound that lacks excitement.
Midrange (500 Hz – 2,000 Hz)
The midrange is where human hearing becomes more sensitive. An instrument or audio channel with a strong midrange will naturally sound more present to the listener.
The midrange is also home to many low-order harmonics in non-bass instruments, which means it’s a critical range in terms of instrument timbre.
- Too much level in the midrange will yield horn-like and tinny-sounding results. It is also conducive to ear fatigue.
- Not enough energy in the midrange will weaken the sound and drain its character.
Upper Midrange (2,000 Hz – 4,000 Hz)
The upper midrange is where human hearing becomes very sensitive.
Altering the midrange with EQ or with a different microphone frequency response will change the sound more noticeably than any other frequency band.
The upper midrange is home to the attack of many percussion instruments; the transient harmonics of many tonal instruments, and speech and vocal intelligibility.
- Too much energy in the upper midrange will quickly cause ear fatigue and cause a source to sound unnaturally loud.
- Too little information in this range will dull the sound and severely alter our ability to understand what the sound source is.
Presence (4,000 Hz – 6,000 Hz)
The presence range is typically where the clarity and definition of a sound resides. Humans are naturally very sensitive to this band.
- Too much in terms of presence in a sound will cause it to sound irritating and harsh.
- Too little energy in the presence range will remove the intelligibility of the sound and cause it to seem more distant.
Brilliance
The brilliance range is home to the upper harmonics of many sound sources. Though the human ear has difficulty hearing the high end of this range, it is important for the overall sound.
Many reflections and room information reside in this range and the brilliance range is responsible for “airiness and brightness” in an audio mix. For example, an EQ boost centred at 12 kHz or a mic that is naturally sensitive at 12 kHz will often sound more professional without being obviously different.
- Too much energy in the brilliance range will cause ear fatigue.
- Too little brilliance yields rather dull results.
Common Instruments And Their Frequencies
Let’s consider a few commonly miked instruments and have a look at their typical musical note range and fundament frequency range. I’ll also provide a rough idea of the range of the instruments’ harmonic contents.
When appropriate, I’ll note the formants of the instrument and/or the important harmonics.
Note that the harmonic content is especially important in the transient of the sound, where the instrument gets its distinct sound from.
Before we get started, let’s define formants, harmonics, and transients.
What Are Formants?
A formant is a concentration of acoustic energy around a particular frequency. Formants are typically found in human speech but can also be found in tubed instruments (brass and woodwind).
Formants correspond to resonances in the vocal tract or the tube of an instrument. The formants can be changed by altering the size and shape of the resonator (the vocal tract or tube).
Changing formants and variations in the strength of the formants are necessary for speech intelligibility in our vowels. In other instruments, formants are thought of more as characteristic peaks in frequency production.
What Are Harmonics?
Harmonics are integer multiples of a fundamental frequency.
Instruments naturally have a harmonic profile with some harmonics being more present than others. Different harmonic profiles and the rate of decay of these harmonics are key distinguishers is an instrument’s timbre and character.
What Are Transients?
Transients are fast variations in sound pressure common to many sounds. The most obvious example of a transient is a tight snare drum. As the drum is struck, it is very loud for a very short period of time. This is a sonic transient.
Most instruments will exhibit a transient at the beginning of their sound propagation. As I alluded to above, the individual harmonics of a sound have their own transient profile. The strength and duration of an instrument’s transients are major factors in the instrument’s timbre and character.
To learn more about transients and the microphone response to transients, check out my article What Is Microphone Transient Response & Why Is It Important?
The Frequency Responses Of Common Instruments
In this section, we’ll have a look at the following instruments:
- Trumpet
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Flute
- Soprano Saxophone
- Tenor Saxophone
- Oboe
- Acoustic guitar
- Upright bass
- Cello
- Violin
- Concert harp
- Electric bass guitar
- Electric guitar
Note that all frequency ranges are calculated using A4=440 Hz.
Frequency Range Of Trumpet (B♭)
- Overall Range: 164 Hz ~ 10,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 164 Hz – 932 Hz (E3-B♭5)
- Harmonics range: 328 Hz ~ 10,000 Hz
- Important Note: The fundamental frequency doesn’t actually sound on a trumpet.
- Formant 1: 1,200 Hz – 1,400 Hz
- Formant 2: 2,500 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking trumpet here.
Frequency Range Of Trombone
- Overall Range: 58 Hz ~ 10,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 82 Hz – 466 Hz for tenor trombone (E2-B♭4) or 58 Hz – 466 Hz for bass trombone (B1-B♭4)
- Harmonics range: 164 Hz ~ 10,000 Hz for tenor trombone (116 Hz ~ 10,000 Hz for bass trombone)
- Important Note: The fundamental frequency doesn’t actually sound on a trombone.
- Formant Information: 600 Hz – 800 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking trombone here.
Frequency Range Of Tuba
- Overall Range: 41 Hz ~ 4,200 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 41 Hz – 311 Hz (E1-E♭4)
- Harmonics range: 82 Hz ~ 4,200 Hz
- Formant range: 200 Hz – 400 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking tube here.
Frequency Range Of Concert Flute
- Overall Range: 262 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 247 Hz – 2,349 Hz (B3-D7)
- Harmonics range: 524 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
- Formant: 800 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking flute here.
Frequency Range Of Soprano Saxophone
- Overall Range: 233 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 233 Hz – 1,480 Hz (B♭3-F#6)
- Harmonics range: 466 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking soprano saxophone here.
Frequency Range Of Tenor Saxophone
- Overall Range: 78 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 78 Hz – 880 Hz (A♭2-E5)
- Harmonics range: 156 Hz ~ 12,000 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking tenor saxophone here.
Frequency Range Of Oboe
- Overall Range: 233 Hz ~ 14,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 233 Hz – 1,568 Hz (B♭3-G6)
- Harmonics range: 466 Hz ~ 14,000 Hz
- Formant 1: 1,400 Hz
- Formant 2: 3,000 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking oboe here.
Frequency Range Of Acoustic Guitar
- Overall Range: 82 Hz ~ 7,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 82 Hz – 1175 Hz (6 string, 22 frets, standard tuning)
- Harmonics range: 162 Hz ~ 7,000 Hz (upper harmonics are much weaker, though still present above 7 kHz)
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking acoustic guitar here.
Frequency Range Of Upright Bass
- Overall Range: 41 Hz ~ 5,200 Hz (weak harmonics may be heard above 5,200 Hz)
- Fundamentals range: 41 Hz – 247 Hz (E1-B3) for standard 4-string double bass
- Harmonics range: 82 Hz ~ 5,200 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking upright bass here.
Frequency Range Of Cello
- Overall Range: 65 Hz ~ 7,500 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 65 Hz – 659 Hz (C2-E5)
- Harmonics range: 130 Hz ~ 7,500 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking cello here.
Frequency Range Of Violin
- Overall Range: 196 Hz ~ 17,000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 196 Hz – 3,520 Hz (G3-A7)
- Harmonics range: 392 Hz ~ 17,000 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking violin here.
Frequency Range Of Concert Harp
- Overall Range: 31 Hz ~ 6,700 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 31 Hz – 3,322 Hz (C♭1-G#7)
- Harmonics range: 62 Hz ~ 6,700 Hz
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking harp here.
Frequency Range Of Bass Guitar
- Overall Range: 41 Hz ~ 5,200 Hz (weak harmonics may be heard above 5,200 Hz)
- Fundamentals range: 41 Hz – 370 Hz (4 strings, 21 frets, standard tuning) or 30 Hz – 370 Hz (5 strings, 21 frets, standard tuning)
- Harmonics range: 82 Hz ~ 5,200 Hz or 60 Hz ~5,200 Hz
- Important Harmonics: First harmonics (60 Hz – 740 Hz)
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking bass guitar cabinets here.
Frequency Range Of Electric Guitar
- Overall Range: 82 Hz ~6000 Hz
- Fundamentals range: 82 Hz – 1319 Hz (6 string, 24 frets, standard tuning)
- Harmonics range: 164 Hz ~ 6000 Hz (louder, more pronounced harmonics happen with distortion)
- Important Harmonics: First harmonics (164 Hz – 2638 Hz)
Check out My New Microphone’s recommended microphones for miking electric guitar amps/cabinets here.
Microphone Frequency Response
A microphone’s frequency response refers to its frequency-specific sensitivity to sound.
Microphones with flat frequency response are, in theory, equally sensitive to every frequency and are, therefore, very neutral and truthful in their sound capture.
Microphones with coloured frequency responses are more sensitive at some frequencies than others. These mics often benefit certain instruments and sound sources by accentuating the important frequency band(s) of the instruments.
For more information on microphone frequency response, check out my Complete Guide To Microphone Frequency Response (With Mic Examples).
Please would you tell me what frequencies will I tune me cello to, if I tune A to 432 Hz.
..i.e.
What frequenies will I need to have for D, G nd C?
(They need to be progressively lower freqencies than A 432Hz).
Many thanks.
No problem, looking at the A=432 Hz chart, we have the following for tuning the stacked fifths of a cello:
C2 = 64.217 Hz
G2 = 96.217 Hz
D3 = 144.16 Hz
A3 = 216.00 Hz
Round to the nearest whole number and you’ll be fine.
Hope that helps!