Not to be confused with scientific pitch notation.
256 Hz
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Note
Approximate frequency (Hz)
Audible?
C−4
1
C−3
2
C−2
4
C−1
8
Y
C0
16
Y
C1
32
Y
C2
64
Y
C3
128
Y
C4
256
Y
C5
512
Y
C6
1024
Y
C7
2048
Y
C8
4096
Y
C9
8192
Y
C10
16384
Y
C11
32768
C12
65536
Scientific pitch, also known as philosophical pitch, Sauveur pitch or Verdi tuning, is an absolute concert pitch standard which is based on middle C (C4) being set to 256 Hz rather than approximately 261.63 Hz,[1] making it approximately 31.77 cents lower than the common A440 pitch standard. It was first proposed in 1713 by French physicist Joseph Sauveur, promoted briefly by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in the 19th century, then advocated by the Schiller Institute beginning in the 1980s with reference to the composer, but naming a pitch slightly lower than Verdi's preferred 432 Hz for A, and making controversial claims regarding the effects of this pitch.
Scientific pitch is not used by concert orchestras but is still sometimes favored in scientific writings for the convenience of all the octaves of C being an exact power of 2 when expressed in hertz (symbol Hz).[2][3] The octaves of C remain a whole number in Hz all the way down to 1 Hz in both binary and decimal counting systems.[4][5] Instead of A above middle C (A4) being set to the widely used standard of 440 Hz, scientific pitch assigns it a frequency of 430.54 Hz.[6]
Since 256 is a power of 2, only octaves (factor 2:1) and, in just tuning, higher-pitched perfect fifths (factor 3:2) of the scientific pitch standard will have a frequency of a convenient integer value. With a Verdi pitch standard of A4 = 432 Hz = 24 × 33, in just tuning all octaves (factor 2), perfect fourths (factor 4:3) and fifths (factor 3:2) will have pitch frequencies of integer numbers, but not the major thirds (factor 5:4) nor major sixths (factor 5:3) which have a prime factor 5 in their ratios. However scientific tuning implies an equal temperament tuning where the frequency ratio between each half tone in the scale is the same, being the 12th root of 2 (a factor of approximately 1.059463), which is not a rational number: therefore in scientific pitch only the octaves of C have a frequency of a whole number in hertz.
^
^Marshall Long, Architectural acoustics, p.81, Elsevier, 2006 ISBN 0-12-455551-9.
^Clarence Grant Hamilton, Sound and Its Relation to Music, p.56, Read Books, 2009 ISBN 1-4446-7429-3.
^Eli Maor, Trigonometric delights, p.210, Princeton University Press, 2002 ISBN 0-691-09541-8. "Scientific pitch...has the advantage that all octaves of C correspond to powers of two."
^Herbert Stanley Allen, Harry Moore, A text-book of practical physics, p.202, Macmillan, 1916. "The reason for the choice of 256 as middle C in scientific work is in order that the number of vibrations corresponding with any C shall be a whole number."
^Turtur, Claus Wilhelm (2011). Prüfungstrainer Physik: Klausur- und Übungsaufgaben mit vollständigen Musterlösungen (in German) (3 ed.). Springer. p. 151. ISBN 978-3834809407.
Scientificpitch notation (SPN), also known as American standard pitch notation (ASPN) and international pitch notation (IPN), is a method of specifying...
file? See media help. Scientificpitch, also known as philosophical pitch, Sauveur pitch or Verdi tuning, is an absolute concert pitch standard which is based...
distinguish the general pitch class or the specific pitch played by a pitched instrument. Although this article focuses on pitch, notes for unpitched percussion...
by octave, enharmonic equivalence, or both." Thus, using scientificpitch notation, the pitch class "C" is the set {Cn : n is an integer} = {..., C−2,...
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining...
Concert pitch is the pitch reference to which a group of musical instruments are tuned for a performance. Concert pitch may vary from ensemble to ensemble...
and musical theory, the middle C is usually labelled as C4 (as in scientificpitch notation); However, in the MIDI standard definition this middle C (261...
A pitch drop experiment is a long-term experiment which measures the flow of a piece of pitch over many years. "Pitch" is the name for any of a number...
that of a countertenor, typically between the F below middle C (F3 in scientificpitch notation) to the second F above middle C (F5), although, at the extremes...
systems. Among the most common are the scientific, Helmholtz, organ pipe, and MIDI note systems. In scientificpitch notation, a specific octave is indicated...
1-108 are not the n keys in the equations or the table.) Piano tuning Scientificpitch notation Music and mathematics Weisstein, Eric. "Equal Temperament...
written middle C for the baritone is concert B♭ below low C (B♭2 in scientificpitch notation), with the fingerings thus matching those of the trumpet but...
highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientificpitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A"...
A variable speed pitch control (or vari-speed) is a control on an audio device such as a turntable, tape recorder, or CD player that allows the operator...
philosophical or scientificpitch with standard pitch of C=512. According to Rayleigh, physicists and acoustic instrument makers used this pitch. The tuning...
below middle C to the A one line above the treble clef (A3 to A5 in scientificpitch notation). A shehnai is often but not always made with a body of wood...
with the left first finger key which produces the written note A4 (in scientificpitch notation) is used to play B♭4. Some clarinets, particularly bass clarinets...
classical performance covers about five octaves, from a low G1 (in scientificpitch notation) to a high G6, although the extremes are rare. More commonly...
above 20,000 Hz Loudspeaker Musical acoustics Piano key frequencies Scientificpitch notation Whistle register Pilhofer, Michael (2007). Music Theory for...
sixth above concert pitch: the tenor horn notation for middle C represents the E♭ below middle C in concert pitch (E♭3 in scientificpitch notation). The instrument...
one octave lower than written. Its lowest sounding note is B2 (in scientificpitch notation), one octave and a semitone below middle C, although an extension...
absolute pitch. Some people have been able to develop accurate pitch identification in adulthood through training. Scientific studies of absolute pitch commenced...
are several schemes for this, the most common being scientificpitch notation. Scientificpitch notation is often used to specify the range of an instrument...