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What does 420 Hz sound like?
420 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 420 Hz sound wave completes 420 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.38 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 81.7 cm (2.68 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.53 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 420 Hz is 19 cents above G♯4 (415.3 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 840 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 210 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 420 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 81.7 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.53 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.57 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.40 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 14.19 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 13.43 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 420 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 420 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 420 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- 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 420 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 420 Hz?
Yes. 420 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 420 Hz?
420 Hz is 19 cents above G♯4, which is 415.3 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 420 Hz?
About 81.7 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.53 m in water.
Can dogs hear 420 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.