256 Hz
Midrange (250 Hz–4 kHz) · C4
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.
| Wavelength | 1.34 m |
|---|---|
| Period | 3.91 ms |
| Nearest note | C4 |
| Off by | -38 cents |
| Audible | Yes |
| Harmonics | 512 Hz · 768 Hz · 1024 Hz |
| One octave down | 128 Hz |
| One octave up | 512 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 256 Hz sound like?
It is a pure tone vibrating 256 times a second. It falls inside the range people hear, and the nearest musical note is C4.
Q. What is the wavelength of 256 Hz?
1.34 m in air. Sound travels 343 metres per second through 20 °C air, so the wavelength is that distance divided by 256.
Q. What note is 256 Hz?
The nearest note is C4, and it is 38 cents flat. A semitone is 100 cents, so that is about 38% of a semitone away.
Q. I cannot hear 256 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 256 Hz?
The whole-number multiples: 512 Hz, 768 Hz, 1024 Hz. An octave up is double, 512 Hz; an octave down is half, 128 Hz.
Nearby frequencies
Frequency doubles for every octave, so closeness is measured in ratios, not differences.