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What does 400 Hz sound like?
400 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 400 Hz sound wave completes 400 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.5 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 85.8 cm (2.81 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.70 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 400 Hz is 35 cents above G4 (392 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 800 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 200 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 400 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 85.8 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.70 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.75 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.52 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 14.90 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 14.10 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 400 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 400 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 400 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 400 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 400 Hz?
Yes. 400 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 400 Hz?
400 Hz is 35 cents above G4, which is 392 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 400 Hz?
About 85.8 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.70 m in water.
Can dogs hear 400 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.