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 59 Hz sound like?
59 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 59 Hz sound wave completes 59 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 16.9 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 5.81 m (19.07 ft) long; in water it stretches to 25.10 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 59 Hz is 22 cents above A♯1 (58.27 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 118 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 29.5 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 59 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 5.81 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 25.10 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 25.42 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 17.07 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 101.02 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 95.59 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 59 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 59 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 59 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 59 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 59 Hz?
Yes. 59 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 59 Hz?
59 Hz is 22 cents above A♯1, which is 58.27 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 59 Hz?
About 5.81 m in air at 20 °C and 25.10 m in water.
Can dogs hear 59 Hz?
No – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.