Jacob Jahiel Frequency of Instruments

Suggested title: High Highs, Low Lows: Sound Frequency Across Instruments

Although it is generally considered an art, understanding music is also a science in which

each instrument becomes a small laboratory. Like water, air transmits waves. When these
waves reach the ears, a complex system of nerves sends that information to the brain.
Scientists who study the interaction between sound waves and the brain measure sound
frequency in units called Hertz (Hz), a term which describes the number of times sound waves
oscillate within a single second. For those of us who are not acoustical scientists, Hz can be
understood as describing how low or high a pitch is. Healthy human ears are capable of hearing
sounds as low as 20 Hz and as high as 20,000 Hz.

Figure 1: Uploaded work by Kern A, Heid C, Steeb W-H, Stoop N, Stoop R from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uncoiled_cochlea_with_basilar_membrane.png

Figure 2: Frequency (pitch) and amplitude (loudness)

The piano possesses one of the largest ranges of any instrument, containing 88 keys. Its
lowest note, A0 (‘A’ is note name, whereas ‘0’ specifies the octave), is only 28 Hz, just within
the field of audibility. Its highest note, C8, sounds at 4186 Hz. The enormous sonic range is one
reason why composers often write pieces for only one piano. Its ability to play in several
Jacob Jahiel Frequency of Instruments

octaves is pleasing to the ear, since range is one of the primary ways in which composers imbue
their works with emotion, variety, and expression.

Figure 3: Range of a standard concert piano

The lowest instrument in the world is called an octobass, invented in 1850 by famed
French instrument maker Jean Baptiste Villaume. Resembling an upright double bass, it is
almost twice as tall as a fully grown person. Its lowest note, a C0, sounds at a mere 16 Hz. This
means that some of its notes vibrate at frequencies that are too low for the human ear to
detect. While you may not be able to hear the octobass’s lower strings, you can still often feel
them, as the slow frequency of vibrations produces a physically palpable rumble. The growl of
low notes is satisfying for the listener, even when they can’t be heard.

Figure 4: An octobass owned by the Montreal Symphony, Canada

Jacob Jahiel Frequency of Instruments

The double-bass, a standard instrument in every orchestra, goes as low as 41 hz (E1),

and its highest string (G2) sounds at 98 Hz. Whereas these notes are high enough to hear, they
are still low enough to produce a similar physical vibration as the octobass. Similarly, the cello,
the lowest instrument in a standard string quartet, produces frequencies low enough to be
both heard and felt at close distance by both listener and player, with a range of C2-A5, or 65-
880 Hz.

Figure 5: Range of a double bass.

Figure 6: Range of a cello

Higher instruments such as flute and violin may not play at frequencies low enough to
vibrate a stage or concert venue, but their register allows them to be even more recognizable
to the ear, reaching the listener even when many instruments are playing at once. The piccolo,
a small flute, has a range of 587-4186 Hz. Because its high range makes it easily perceived by
the ear, it is a popular instrument in both symphony orchestras and military band, where it
could historically be heard even in the din of battle. The high register of instruments is an
important way in which the brain tells the difference between instruments. A cello and a violin
might both be playing the same note, but if they are in different octaves, it is easy for the brain
to decide which instrument is which.
Jacob Jahiel Frequency of Instruments

Figure 7: The range of a piccolo

Figure 8: Man playing piccolo, photo by Bengt Nyman:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Man_in_uniform_playing_piccolo.jpg

Understanding sound frequency is an important part of knowing why we hear the way
we do, and the ability to differentiate between frequencies is fundamental in our ability to
enjoy and interpret music. After all, variety is one of the most important hallmarks of a good
song, and nobody likes to listen to a symphony that can only play one note!