Pitch Detector

How to read the pitch detector

• Note and octave. Notes use scientific pitch notation: A4 is the A above middle C (C4), and the number goes up by one at each C.
• Frequency. The pitch in hertz (Hz). A4 is 440 Hz in standard tuning, and every octave doubles the frequency.
• Cents. A cent is one hundredth of a semitone. The needle shows how far you are from the nearest note, from −50 (flat) to +50 (sharp); within 5 cents counts as in tune.
• Graph. The line shows your pitch over the last 10 seconds, or over the whole recording, against a grid with one line per C.

Note frequencies

Use it as a voice pitch analyzer

Hold a note and watch the needle to see whether you are singing flat or sharp, then adjust until it settles in the middle. The detector covers roughly 60 Hz to 1,400 Hz, from below a bass singer’s low E to above a soprano’s high C. To find the lowest and highest notes you can sing, use the Vocal Range Test.

Tune instruments and find notes

It also works as a pitch identifier for single notes on guitar, bass, violin, piano, ukulele or a whistle. Chords and full mixes contain several pitches at once and are harder to read. To find the key of a whole song, use the Key & BPM Finder; to turn a melody into editable notes, use MP3 to MIDI.

440 Hz, 432 Hz or 442 Hz?

Standard tuning sets A4 to 440 Hz. Some musicians prefer 432 Hz, and some orchestras tune slightly higher, often to 442 Hz. Choose the reference that matches how your instrument is tuned; the note names and cents follow it.