Start with your device volume low. Very low tones may be inaudible on phone or laptop speakers; very high tones can be uncomfortable on headphones.
What does 220 Hz sound like?
220 Hz is a bass frequency. It is a low bass tone – a warm hum similar to the low strings of a cello or bass guitar. Phone speakers reproduce it weakly; headphones work much better.
A 220 Hz sound wave completes 220 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 4.55 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 1.56 m (5.12 ft) long; in water it stretches to 6.73 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 220 Hz is almost exactly A3 (220 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 440 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 110 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 220 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 1.56 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 6.73 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 6.82 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 4.58 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 27.09 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 25.64 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 220 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 220 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Budgerigars (parakeets), Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Rabbits, Mice, Hedgehogs, Opossums, Bats, Beluga whales, Canaries, Cockatiels, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 220 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Bass guitar (4-string)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
- Harp
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Bass voice
- Baritone voice
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 220 Hz sound like?
It is a low bass tone – a warm hum similar to the low strings of a cello or bass guitar. Phone speakers reproduce it weakly; headphones work much better.
Can humans hear 220 Hz?
Yes. 220 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 220 Hz?
220 Hz is almost exactly A3, which is 220 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 220 Hz?
About 1.56 m in air at 20 °C and 6.73 m in water.
Can dogs hear 220 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.