220 Hz
Bass (20–250 Hz) · A3
Turn the volume down before you play. A pure tone is harder on the ears than music at the same level.
Tuning pitch
A reference note used to tune instruments.
Musical note
A note that has a name on the keyboard.
| Wavelength | 1.56 m |
|---|---|
| Period | 4.55 ms |
| Nearest note | A3 |
| Off by | In tune |
| Audible | Yes |
| Harmonics | 440 Hz · 660 Hz · 880 Hz |
| One octave down | 110 Hz |
| One octave up | 440 Hz |
How to read this
- Hertz counts how many times the air vibrates per second. The bigger the number, the higher the pitch.
- Wavelength is the speed of sound (343 m/s at 20 °C) divided by the frequency. That makes 20 Hz seventeen metres long and 20 kHz under two centimetres.
- People hear roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but the upper limit drops with age. Past about 15 kHz, some hear the tone and some do not.
- Hearing nothing does not mean the equipment is broken. Small speakers cannot reach the low notes, and for the high ones it is the ear that gives up first.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does 220 Hz sound like?
It is a pure tone vibrating 220 times a second. It falls inside the range people hear, and the nearest musical note is A3.
Q. What is the wavelength of 220 Hz?
1.56 m in air. Sound travels 343 metres per second through 20 °C air, so the wavelength is that distance divided by 220.
Q. What note is 220 Hz?
The nearest note is A3, and it is almost exactly that note.
Q. I cannot hear 220 Hz — is something wrong?
This band is comfortable for most equipment and most ears, so check the volume and the output device first.
Q. What are the harmonics of 220 Hz?
The whole-number multiples: 440 Hz, 660 Hz, 880 Hz. An octave up is double, 440 Hz; an octave down is half, 110 Hz.
Nearby frequencies
Frequency doubles for every octave, so closeness is measured in ratios, not differences.