Piano key frequencies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a virtual keyboard showing the absolute frequencies in hertz (cycles per second), of the notes on a modern piano (typically containing 88 keys) in twelve-tone equal temperament, with the 49th key, the fifth A (called A4), tuned to 440 Hz (referred to as A440). Each successive pitch is derived by multiplying (ascending) or dividing (descending) the previous by the twelfth root of two. For example, to get the frequency a semitone up from A4 (A♯4), multiply 440 by the twelfth root of two. To go from A4 to B4 (up a whole tone), multiply 440 by the twelfth root of two squared. For other tuning schemes refer to musical tuning.
This list of frequencies is for a theoretical ideal piano. On an actual piano the ratio between semitones is slightly larger, especially at the high and low ends, due to string thickness which causes inharmonicity due to the nonzero force required to bend steel piano wire in the absence of tension. This effect is sometimes known as stretched octaves, and the pattern of deviation is called the Railsback curve.
The following equation will give the frequency F of the nth key, as shown in the table:
![F(n) = 440\sqrt[12]{2}^{n-49}](http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/6/3/c/63c53da2679ffca6c2313c2eecd90419.png)
[edit] Virtual keyboard
| Key number | Helmholtz name | Scientific name | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | c′′′′′ (5-line 8ve) | C8 (Eighth octave) | 4186.01 |
| 87 | b′′′′ | B7 | 3951.07 |
| 86 | a♯′′′′/b♭′′′′ | A♯7/B♭7 | 3729.31 |
| 85 | a′′′′ | A7 | 3520.00 |
| 84 | g♯′′′′/a♭′′′′ | G♯7/A♭7 | 3322.44 |
| 83 | g′′′′ | G7 | 3135.96 |
| 82 | f♯′′′′/g♭′′′′ | F♯7/G♭7 | 2959.96 |
| 81 | f′′′′ | F7 | 2793.83 |
| 80 | e′′′′ | E7 | 2637.02 |
| 79 | d♯′′′′/e♭′′′′ | D♯7/E♭7 | 2489.02 |
| 78 | d′′′′ | D7 | 2349.32 |
| 77 | c♯′′′′/d♭′′′′ | C♯7/D♭7 | 2217.46 |
| 76 | c′′′′ (4-line 8ve) | C7 (Double high C) | 2093.00 |
| 75 | b′′′ | B6 | 1975.53 |
| 74 | a♯′′′/b♭′′′ | A♯6/B♭6 | 1864.66 |
| 73 | a′′′ | A6 | 1760.00 |
| 72 | g♯′′′/a♭′′′ | G♯6/A♭6 | 1661.22 |
| 71 | g′′′ | G6 | 1567.98 |
| 70 | f♯′′′/g♭′′′ | F♯6/G♭6 | 1479.98 |
| 69 | f′′′ | F6 | 1396.91 |
| 68 | e′′′ | E6 | 1318.51 |
| 67 | d♯′′′/e♭′′′ | D♯6/E♭6 | 1244.51 |
| 66 | d′′′ | D6 | 1174.66 |
| 65 | c♯′′′/d♭′′′ | C♯6/D♭6 | 1108.73 |
| 64 | c′′′ (3-line 8ve) | C6 (Soprano C) | 1046.50 |
| 63 | b′′ | B5 | 987.767 |
| 62 | a♯′′/b♭′′ | A♯5/B♭5 | 932.328 |
| 61 | a′′ | A5 | 880.000 |
| 60 | g♯′′/a♭′′ | G♯5/A♭5 | 830.609 |
| 59 | g′′ | G5 | 783.991 |
| 58 | f♯′′/g♭′′ | F♯5/G♭5 | 739.989 |
| 57 | f′′ | F5 | 698.456 |
| 56 | e′′ | E5 | 659.255 |
| 55 | d♯′′/e♭′′ | D♯5/E♭5 | 622.254 |
| 54 | d′′ | D5 | 587.330 |
| 53 | c♯′′/d♭′′ | C♯5/D♭5 | 554.365 |
| 52 | c′′ (2-line 8ve) | C5 (Tenor C) | 523.251 |
| 51 | b′ | B4 | 493.883 |
| 50 | a♯′/b♭′ | A♯4/B♭4 | 466.164 |
| 49 | a′ | A4 (A440) | 440.000 |
| 48 | g♯′/a♭′ | G♯4/A♭4 | 415.305 |
| 47 | g′ | G4 | 391.995 |
| 46 | f♯′/g♭′ | F♯4/G♭4 | 369.994 |
| 45 | f′ | F4 | 349.228 |
| 44 | e′ | E4 | 329.628 |
| 43 | d♯′/e♭′ | D♯4/E♭4 | 311.127 |
| 42 | d′ | D4 | 293.665 |
| 41 | c♯′/d♭′ | C♯4/D♭4 | 277.183 |
| 40 | c′ (1-line 8ve) | C4 (Middle C) | 261.626 |
| 39 | b | B3 | 246.942 |
| 38 | a♯/b♭ | A♯3/B♭3 | 233.082 |
| 37 | a | A3 | 220.000 |
| 36 | g♯/a♭ | G♯3/A♭3 | 207.652 |
| 35 | g | G3 | 195.998 |
| 34 | f♯/g♭ | F♯3/G♭3 | 184.997 |
| 33 | f | F3 | 174.614 |
| 32 | e | E3 | 164.814 |
| 31 | d♯/e♭ | D♯3/E♭3 | 155.563 |
| 30 | d | D3 | 146.832 |
| 29 | c♯/d♭ | C♯3/D♭3 | 138.591 |
| 28 | c (small 8ve) | C3 (Low C) | 130.813 |
| 27 | B | B2 | 123.471 |
| 26 | A♯/B♭ | A♯2/B♭2 | 116.541 |
| 25 | A | A2 | 110.000 |
| 24 | G♯/A♭ | G♯2/A♭2 | 103.826 |
| 23 | G | G2 | 97.9989 |
| 22 | F♯/G♭ | F♯2/G♭2 | 92.4986 |
| 21 | F | F2 | 87.3071 |
| 20 | E | E2 | 82.4069 |
| 19 | D♯/E♭ | D♯2/E♭2 | 77.7817 |
| 18 | D | D2 | 73.4162 |
| 17 | C♯/D♭ | C♯2/D♭2 | 69.2957 |
| 16 | C (great 8ve) | C2 (Deep C) | 65.4064 |
| 15 | Bˌ | B1 | 61.7354 |
| 14 | A♯ˌ/B♭ˌ | A♯1/B♭1 | 58.2705 |
| 13 | Aˌ | A1 | 55.0000 |
| 12 | G♯ˌ/A♭ˌ | G♯1/A♭1 | 51.9131 |
| 11 | Gˌ | G1 | 48.9994 |
| 10 | F♯ˌ/G♭ˌ | F♯1/G♭1 | 46.2493 |
| 9 | Fˌ | F1 | 43.6535 |
| 8 | Eˌ | E1 | 41.2034 |
| 7 | D♯ˌ/E♭ˌ | D♯1/E♭1 | 38.8909 |
| 6 | Dˌ | D1 | 36.7081 |
| 5 | C♯ˌ/D♭ˌ | C♯1/D♭1 | 34.6478 |
| 4 | Cˌ (contra-8ve) | C1 (Pedal C) | 32.7032 |
| 3 | Bˌˌ | B0 | 30.8677 |
| 2 | A♯ˌˌ/B♭ˌˌ | A♯0/B♭0 | 29.1352 |
| 1 | Aˌˌ (sub-contra-8ve) | A0 (Double Pedal A) | 27.5000 |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- interactive piano frequency table — A php script allowing the reference pitch of A4 to be altered from 440 Hz.
- PySynth — A simple Python-based software synthesizer that prints the key frequencies table and then creates a few demo songs based on that table.
