Tips & Tricks: Frequencies and Musical Notes relation

A frequency refers to the rate at which a sound wave vibrates, while a musical note represents a specific pitch or tone.

Sound waves are characterised by their frequency, which is measured in Hertz (Hz). The frequency of a sound wave determines its perceived pitch. Higher frequencies result in higher-pitched sounds, while lower frequencies correspond to lower-pitched sounds.

In Western music, a system called equal temperament is commonly used, which divides an octave (the range of pitches from one note to its double or half frequency) into 12 equal parts called semitones. Each semitone corresponds to a specific musical note. These musical notes are named using the letters A to G. Each letter represent specific pitches within the octave. The octave begins and ends with the same note name, so after G, the sequence starts again with A. Moving up one semitone corresponds to multiplying the frequency by the 12th root of 2 (approximately 1.05946). Moving up one octave corresponds to doubling the frequency. The specific frequency of each note can be calculated based on its position within the scale and its relationship to the reference pitch of A4 (440 Hz).

It's important to note that different musical traditions and cultures may use different systems for assigning frequencies to musical notes, but the basic concept of relating frequency and pitch remains consistent.

Here is a chart with the estimated value to help with the visualisation.