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 470 Hz sound like?
470 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 470 Hz sound wave completes 470 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 2.13 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 73.0 cm (2.39 ft) long; in water it stretches to 3.15 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 470 Hz is 14 cents above A♯4 (466.16 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 940 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 235 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 470 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 73.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 3.15 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 3.19 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 2.14 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 12.68 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 12.00 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 470 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 470 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 470 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
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 470 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 470 Hz?
Yes. 470 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 470 Hz?
470 Hz is 14 cents above A♯4, which is 466.16 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 470 Hz?
About 73.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 3.15 m in water.
Can dogs hear 470 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.