880 Hz
Midrange (250 Hz–4 kHz) · A5
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 | 39 cm |
|---|---|
| Period | 1.14 ms |
| Nearest note | A5 |
| Off by | In tune |
| Audible | Yes |
| Harmonics | 1760 Hz · 2640 Hz · 3520 Hz |
| One octave down | 440 Hz |
| One octave up | 1760 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 880 Hz sound like?
It is a pure tone vibrating 880 times a second. It falls inside the range people hear, and the nearest musical note is A5.
Q. What is the wavelength of 880 Hz?
39 cm in air. Sound travels 343 metres per second through 20 °C air, so the wavelength is that distance divided by 880.
Q. What note is 880 Hz?
The nearest note is A5, and it is almost exactly that note.
Q. I cannot hear 880 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 880 Hz?
The whole-number multiples: 1760 Hz, 2640 Hz, 3520 Hz. An octave up is double, 1760 Hz; an octave down is half, 440 Hz.
Nearby frequencies
Frequency doubles for every octave, so closeness is measured in ratios, not differences.