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What does 380 Hz sound like?
380 Hz is a low midrange frequency. It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
A 380 Hz sound wave completes 380 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.63 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 90.3 cm (2.96 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.90 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 380 Hz is 46 cents above F♯4 (369.99 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 760 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 190 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 380 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 90.3 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.90 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.95 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.65 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 15.68 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 14.84 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 380 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 380 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Instruments and voices that can play 380 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Bass guitar (4-string)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
- Harp
- Flute
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Baritone voice
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 380 Hz sound like?
It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
Can humans hear 380 Hz?
Yes. 380 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 380 Hz?
380 Hz is 46 cents above F♯4, which is 369.99 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 380 Hz?
About 90.3 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.90 m in water.
Can dogs hear 380 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.