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What does 425 Hz sound like?
425 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 425 Hz sound wave completes 425 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.35 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 80.7 cm (2.65 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.48 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 425 Hz is 40 cents above G♯4 (415.3 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 850 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 212.5 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 425 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 80.7 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.48 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.53 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.37 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 14.02 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 13.27 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 425 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 425 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 425 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 425 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 425 Hz?
Yes. 425 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 425 Hz?
425 Hz is 40 cents above G♯4, which is 415.3 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 425 Hz?
About 80.7 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.48 m in water.
Can dogs hear 425 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.