How to use the pitch detector
You need nothing but the device in your hand. The pitch detector listens through its microphone and shows the note in big letters, about 20 times a second.
- 01
Press Start listening
It is the big button at the top of the tool. On a phone, hold the device about an arm’s length away.
- 02
Tap Allow
Your browser asks once for permission to use the microphone. Tap Allow. If you tapped Block by mistake, the tool shows how to undo it.
- 03
Make one steady sound
Sing, hum, whistle or play a single note and hold it. The note name, its Hz and a needle appear straight away.
What each part of the screen tells you
| On screen | What it means |
|---|---|
| Big letter and number (A4) | The note you are making. The letter is the note name; the number is the octave. C4 is middle C on a piano. |
| Hz | How many times per second the sound vibrates. Higher Hz means a higher note. |
| Needle and colours | Green and centred means right on the note. Left (yellow) means a little low or flat. Right (red) means a little high or sharp. |
| Music staff | The same note written as sheet music, on the treble or bass clef. |
| Pitch line | Your last 10 seconds. A flat line is a steady note; a wavy line is vibrato or wobble. |
| Piano | Where your note sits on a keyboard. Tap a key to hear any note. |
| Microphone level | Shows the tool can hear you. If it stays empty, see the fixes below. |
Stop singing and the last note stays on screen (slightly faded), so you can read it at your own pace.
What the online pitch detector shows you
Note names and octaves
Notes use scientific pitch notation: a letter from A to G, sometimes with a sharp (♯) or flat (♭), then the octave number. The octave number goes up by one at every C, so B3 is followed by C4. Every time you go up an octave, the frequency doubles.
Prefer flats (B♭ instead of A♯) or Do Re Mi? Open Settings under the tool and change Note names.
Cents: how far off you are
A semitone (one piano key) is split into 100 cents. The needle shows how many cents you are above or below the nearest note. You do not need to remember the numbers: the words under the button say “A little low”, “Right on the note” or “A little high”.
| Cents off | What it sounds like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | In tune to almost everyone | Hold it there |
| 5 to 12 | Slightly off; trained ears notice | Nudge the pitch a touch |
| 12 to 25 | Most listeners hear it as out of tune | Correct up or down |
| 25 to 50 | Clearly sour | You are nearer the neighbouring note than you think |
Pitch detector for singing: a voice pitch detector that shows every wobble
Singers use the pitch detector as a mirror. It shows whether you land on the note, stay on it, and how wide your vibrato is.
Five ways singers use it
- Match a note. Tap a key on the piano under the tool, then sing the same note and watch the needle settle in the green.
- Hold it steady. Sing a long “ah” and keep the pitch line flat for five seconds. A line that slopes down shows the note sagging as your breath runs out.
- Find your starting note. Hum the first note of a song and read its name, so you can start in the same key every time.
- Check your speaking pitch. Adult men usually speak around 85 to 180 Hz, and adult women around 165 to 255 Hz. Voice-training clients use the Hz reading to track their average.
- Map your range. The summary under the pitch line keeps your lowest and highest steady notes. For a guided test, use the vocal range finder.
Tips for a clean reading
- Use an open vowel (“ah” or “oo”). Consonants and breathy tone make the needle jump.
- Sing at a comfortable, steady volume. If the level bar turns yellow, move closer or a little louder.
- Singing along to music? Wear headphones, so the detector hears only your voice.
- Song too high or too low for you? Count the semitones and move it with the chord transposer.
Use it as a note detector for instruments
Any instrument that plays one note at a time works: flute, violin, trumpet, saxophone, harmonica, a single guitar string, even a tuning fork or a wine glass. Pluck or play one note, let it ring, and read the name.
| Instrument | Strings, lowest to highest |
|---|---|
| Guitar | E2 (82.41 Hz), A2 (110.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), G3 (196.00 Hz), B3 (246.94 Hz), E4 (329.63 Hz) |
| Bass guitar (4-string) | E1 (41.20 Hz), A1 (55.00 Hz), D2 (73.42 Hz), G2 (98.00 Hz) |
| Ukulele (gCEA) | G4 (392.00 Hz), C4 (261.63 Hz), E4 (329.63 Hz), A4 (440.00 Hz) |
| Violin | G3 (196.00 Hz), D4 (293.66 Hz), A4 (440.00 Hz), E5 (659.26 Hz) |
| Viola | C3 (130.81 Hz), G3 (196.00 Hz), D4 (293.66 Hz), A4 (440.00 Hz) |
| Cello | C2 (65.41 Hz), G2 (98.00 Hz), D3 (146.83 Hz), A3 (220.00 Hz) |
Tuning a guitar, bass or ukulele? The guitar tuner, bass tuner and ukulele tuner know which string you are on and show which way to turn the peg. The kalimba tuner does the same for every tine and says which end to tap.
Trumpet, clarinet, saxophone and horn players: read this
These are transposing instruments. The pitch detector shows concert pitch, the note that actually sounds, which is different from the note written in your part. Horn players can use the French horn tuner, which shows notes as written for horn in F.
| Instrument | Key | Shows | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trumpet, clarinet, soprano sax | B♭ | B♭ | A whole step lower |
| Tenor sax | B♭ | B♭ | An octave and a whole step lower |
| Alto sax | E♭ | E♭ | A major sixth lower |
| Baritone sax | E♭ | E♭ | An octave and a major sixth lower |
| French horn | F | F | A perfect fifth lower |
Find the note of any sound with this pitch finder
The pitch finder is not only for music. Anything with a steady tone has a note: a doorbell, a microwave beep, a bird, a bell, a car horn or a glass you tap with a spoon.
- Work out a melody. Hum one note at a time and write down each name. Then play it back on the piano in the tool.
- Check an old piano. Play each A and compare it with 110, 220, 440 and 880 Hz. A piano that reads 20 or more cents flat everywhere needs a tuner.
- Check a recording. Press Check an audio file and pick an MP3, WAV or voice memo. The tool draws the pitch line for the first 60 seconds and lists the lowest, highest and most held notes.
Note frequency chart
The frequency of every note from C1 to B7 at the standard A4 = 440 Hz. Find a row by note name and a column by octave. Middle C is C4 (261.63 Hz).
| Note | Octave 1 | Octave 2 | Octave 3 | Octave 4 | Octave 5 | Octave 6 | Octave 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 32.70 | 65.41 | 130.81 | 261.63 | 523.25 | 1046.50 | 2093.00 |
| C♯/D♭ | 34.65 | 69.30 | 138.59 | 277.18 | 554.37 | 1108.73 | 2217.46 |
| D | 36.71 | 73.42 | 146.83 | 293.66 | 587.33 | 1174.66 | 2349.32 |
| D♯/E♭ | 38.89 | 77.78 | 155.56 | 311.13 | 622.25 | 1244.51 | 2489.02 |
| E | 41.20 | 82.41 | 164.81 | 329.63 | 659.26 | 1318.51 | 2637.02 |
| F | 43.65 | 87.31 | 174.61 | 349.23 | 698.46 | 1396.91 | 2793.83 |
| F♯/G♭ | 46.25 | 92.50 | 185.00 | 369.99 | 739.99 | 1479.98 | 2959.96 |
| G | 49.00 | 98.00 | 196.00 | 392.00 | 783.99 | 1567.98 | 3135.96 |
| G♯/A♭ | 51.91 | 103.83 | 207.65 | 415.30 | 830.61 | 1661.22 | 3322.44 |
| A | 55.00 | 110.00 | 220.00 | 440.00 | 880.00 | 1760.00 | 3520.00 |
| A♯/B♭ | 58.27 | 116.54 | 233.08 | 466.16 | 932.33 | 1864.66 | 3729.31 |
| B | 61.74 | 123.47 | 246.94 | 493.88 | 987.77 | 1975.53 | 3951.07 |
How pitch detection works
Every musical sound is a vibration that repeats. A sung A4 repeats 440 times a second. The pitch detector takes about a tenth of a second of sound from the microphone and looks for the shortest pattern that keeps repeating. The length of that pattern gives the frequency, and the frequency gives the note.
It uses the YIN algorithm (de Cheveigné and Kawahara, 2002), the same method behind the TuneMode online tuner. YIN is good at ignoring overtones, the quieter higher pitches that give a voice or instrument its colour, so it finds the note you mean rather than one an octave up.
| Range | Error |
|---|---|
| C1 to E6 (32.7 to 1,319 Hz) | Less than 1 cent |
| Up to C7 (2,093 Hz) | Less than 4 cents |
| Above about C7 | May read an octave low |
Readings update about 20 times a second. A note must last about 150 milliseconds to count in the summary, which filters out slides and clicks.
Pitch detector not working? Quick fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens after Start | Look for the permission pop-up near the address bar and tap Allow. If you blocked it, the tool shows step-by-step instructions for your browser. |
| Level bar does not move | The wrong microphone is selected or muted. Unplug and replug a headset, check the mute switch, close video-call apps, then press Start again. |
| “Too quiet” | Move closer to the phone or computer, or sing and play a little louder. |
| Note jumps around | Make one note at a time and keep it steady. Background noise, talking and chords all confuse a pitch detector. |
| Shows the wrong octave | Sing on “ah”, hold the note longer, and avoid tiny phone speakers when checking low notes. |
| Stopped when I switched apps | The microphone pauses when the page is hidden, to save battery and protect privacy. Press Start again. |
Still stuck? Our guide to fixing an online tuner that is not working covers iPhone, Android, Chrome and Safari microphone settings in detail.
Pitch detector FAQs
Is this pitch detector free? Do I need an app?
It is free, with no account and no download. It runs in the browser on phones, tablets and computers: Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox all work. Open the page, press Start listening and allow the microphone.
Is my voice recorded or uploaded?
No. The sound is analysed on your own device, a few thousand samples at a time, and thrown away immediately. Nothing is saved or sent to a server. Audio files you check are also read only inside your browser.
How accurate is the pitch detector?
On clean test tones it reads within 1 cent (one hundredth of a semitone) from C1 (32.7 Hz) to E6 (1,319 Hz), and within 4 cents up to C7 (2,093 Hz). Real voices and instruments wobble more than test tones, so expect the last digit of the Hz reading to move. The note name is reliable as long as one clear note is sounding.
What is the difference between a pitch detector and a tuner?
A tuner compares what you play with a target string, such as the low E on a guitar. A pitch detector has no target: it names whatever note it hears. Use the pitch detector for singing, whistling and finding notes, and an instrument tuner when you want string-by-string help.
Why does it show the right letter but the wrong octave?
Many sounds are rich in overtones, and a very strong overtone can briefly look like the main note. Low notes on small phone speakers and breathy singing cause it most. Hold the note steadily for a second, sing on an open vowel like "ah", and move a little closer to the microphone.
Can it detect chords or several notes at once?
No. Like every single-note pitch detector, it follows one note at a time. When several notes sound together, the reading jumps between them or disappears. Play the notes of a chord one by one, or use the reverse chord finder to name the chord.
Can I find the notes of a song from YouTube or Spotify?
Full songs mix voices, drums and instruments, so the reading jumps around. It works much better if you hum or sing the melody yourself, one note at a time, or check an audio file of a solo voice or instrument.
Which audio files can I check?
Any file your browser can play, usually MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, OGG and FLAC. The first 60 seconds are analysed. A recording of one voice or one instrument gives the cleanest result.
What does A4 = 440 Hz mean, and should I change it?
A4 = 440 Hz is the standard reference pitch that sets the frequency of every other note. Leave it at 440 unless your choir, orchestra or a recording uses something else: some orchestras use 442 Hz, Baroque groups often use 415 Hz, and some musicians prefer 432 Hz.
Does it work for whistling and humming?
Yes. Humming and whistling are clean, steady sounds, which makes them easy to read. Most whistled melodies sit between about C5 and C7, inside the range this detector reads reliably. A very high whistle above C7 may read an octave low.