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What does 528 Hz sound like?
528 Hz is a midrange frequency. It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
A 528 Hz sound wave completes 528 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 1.89 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 65.0 cm (2.13 ft) long; in water it stretches to 2.80 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 528 Hz is 16 cents above C5 (523.25 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 1,056 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 264 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 528 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 65.0 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 2.80 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 2.84 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 1.91 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 11.29 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 10.68 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 528 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
| Harmonic | Frequency | Nearest note |
|---|---|---|
| 1× (fundamental) | 528 Hz | C5 |
| 2× | 1.056 kHz | C6 |
| 3× | 1.584 kHz | G6 |
| 4× | 2.112 kHz | C7 |
| 5× | 2.64 kHz | E7 |
| 6× | 3.168 kHz | G7 |
| 7× | 3.696 kHz | A♯7 |
| 8× | 4.224 kHz | C8 |
Which animals can hear 528 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, 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 528 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 528 Hz sound like?
It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
Can humans hear 528 Hz?
Yes. 528 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 528 Hz?
528 Hz is 16 cents above C5, which is 523.25 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 528 Hz?
About 65.0 cm in air at 20 °C and 2.80 m in water.
Can dogs hear 528 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.