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 56 Hz sound like?
56 Hz is a sub-bass frequency. It is a very deep sub-bass tone that you feel in your chest as much as hear. Small speakers struggle to reproduce it; good headphones or a subwoofer will.
A 56 Hz sound wave completes 56 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 17.9 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 6.12 m (20.10 ft) long; in water it stretches to 26.45 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 56 Hz is 31 cents above A1 (55 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 112 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 28 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 56 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 6.12 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 26.45 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 26.79 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 17.98 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 106.43 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 100.71 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 56 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 56 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Cats, Horses, Cows, Pigs, Guinea pigs, Ferrets, Elephants, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Dogs, Sheep, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Opossums, Chinchillas, Bats, Beluga whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 56 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 56 Hz sound like?
It is a very deep sub-bass tone that you feel in your chest as much as hear. Small speakers struggle to reproduce it; good headphones or a subwoofer will.
Can humans hear 56 Hz?
Yes. 56 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 56 Hz?
56 Hz is 31 cents above A1, which is 55 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 56 Hz?
About 6.12 m in air at 20 °C and 26.45 m in water.
Can dogs hear 56 Hz?
No – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.