B♭5 at every common reference pitch
A note’s frequency depends on what A4 is tuned to. The standard is 440 Hz; the other three are the ones you are most likely to meet. The cents column is how far each one sits from the 440 version — the same for every note, because changing the reference moves the whole scale together.
| Reference | B♭5 | vs 440 |
|---|---|---|
| A4 = 415 Hz · Baroque pitch | 879.35 Hz | −101.3¢ |
| A4 = 432 Hz · “Verdi” pitch | 915.38 Hz | −31.8¢ |
| A4 = 440 Hz · Standard (ISO 16) | 932.33 Hz | — |
| A4 = 442 Hz · Orchestral | 936.57 Hz | +7.9¢ |
One cycle of B♭5 lasts 1.073 ms, and its wavelength in air at 20 °C is 36.8 cm. Hold it as a steady tone in the tone generator.
B♭5 on the piano
B♭5 is key 62 of 88, counting from the bottom — the black key between A and B. Press any key below to compare it with its neighbours.
B♭5 on the guitar
In standard tuning B♭5 is played in 1 place: 1st (high E) string, fret 18. The same pitch in each place, with a different tone: lower strings sound warmer. Guitar music is written an octave higher than it sounds, so on a guitar part this note is printed as B♭6.
B♭5 on the staff
Instruments that can play B♭5
38 instruments play B♭5 within the normal range, and 2 reach it only at the extreme of theirs. Each links to its range chart; for a transposing instrument, the note on its part is shown.
Guitars and basses
Plucked and struck strings
Woodwind
Only at the extreme of their range
Voices: B♭5 is inside the typical range of the soprano. Test your own range.
The harmonics of B♭5
A played B♭5 is not one frequency. A string or a pipe also sounds whole-number multiples of it, and the mix of those harmonics is the instrument’s tone. Here is where the first eight land — and why the 7th sounds out of tune against a piano.
| Harmonic | Frequency | Nearest note | Off by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (fundamental) | 932.33 Hz | B♭5 | 0¢ |
| 2 | 1864.7 Hz | B♭6 | 0¢ |
| 3 | 2797.0 Hz | F7 | +2.0¢ |
| 4 | 3729.3 Hz | B♭7 | 0¢ |
| 5 | 4661.6 Hz | D8 | −13.7¢ |
| 6 | 5594.0 Hz | F8 | +2.0¢ |
| 7 | 6526.3 Hz | A♭8 | −31.2¢ |
| 8 | 7458.6 Hz | B♭8 | 0¢ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the frequency of B♭5?
B♭5 is 932.33 Hz in equal temperament with A4 tuned to 440 Hz, the international standard. At A4 = 432 Hz it is 915.38 Hz, and at the orchestral A4 = 442 Hz it is 936.57 Hz.
Is B♭5 the same note as A♯5?
On a piano, a guitar or a tuner, yes: B♭5 and A♯5 are the same key and the same frequency, 932.33 Hz, in equal temperament. They are two names for one pitch (enharmonic equivalents). Which one is written depends on the key — sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys — and a string or wind player may pitch them a few cents apart when playing in just intonation.
How do I play B♭5 on a piano?
B♭5 is key 62 of 88, counting from the bottom — the black key between A and B.
Which instruments can play B♭5?
38 of the instruments we chart play B♭5 within their normal range, including violin, viola, cello, erhu, guitar, and 2 more reach it only at the extreme of their range.
Typing it? B♭5 is also written Bb5 or A#5. Convert any frequency on the Hz-to-note converter.