B5 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 | B5 | vs 440 |
|---|---|---|
| A4 = 415 Hz · Baroque pitch | 931.64 Hz | −101.3¢ |
| A4 = 432 Hz · “Verdi” pitch | 969.81 Hz | −31.8¢ |
| A4 = 440 Hz · Standard (ISO 16) | 987.77 Hz | — |
| A4 = 442 Hz · Orchestral | 992.26 Hz | +7.9¢ |
One cycle of B5 lasts 1.012 ms, and its wavelength in air at 20 °C is 34.7 cm. Hold it as a steady tone in the tone generator.
B5 on the piano
B5 is key 63 of 88, counting from the bottom — a white key. Press any key below to compare it with its neighbours.
B5 on the guitar
In standard tuning B5 is played in 1 place: 1st (high E) string, fret 19. 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 B6.
B5 on the staff
Instruments that can play B5
34 instruments play B5 within the normal range, and 5 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: B5 is inside the typical range of the soprano. Test your own range.
The harmonics of B5
A played B5 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) | 987.77 Hz | B5 | 0¢ |
| 2 | 1975.5 Hz | B6 | 0¢ |
| 3 | 2963.3 Hz | F♯7 | +2.0¢ |
| 4 | 3951.1 Hz | B7 | 0¢ |
| 5 | 4938.8 Hz | E♭8 | −13.7¢ |
| 6 | 5926.6 Hz | F♯8 | +2.0¢ |
| 7 | 6914.4 Hz | A8 | −31.2¢ |
| 8 | 7902.1 Hz | B8 | 0¢ |
Frequencies that land on B5
Frequently asked questions
What is the frequency of B5?
B5 is 987.77 Hz in equal temperament with A4 tuned to 440 Hz, the international standard. At A4 = 432 Hz it is 969.81 Hz, and at the orchestral A4 = 442 Hz it is 992.26 Hz.
Which octave is B5 in?
The number is the octave in scientific pitch notation, where each octave starts on C and C4 is middle C. B5 is in octave 5, 23 semitones above middle C. In Helmholtz notation, used in older books, it is written b″.
How do I play B5 on a piano?
B5 is key 63 of 88, counting from the bottom — a white key.
Which instruments can play B5?
34 of the instruments we chart play B5 within their normal range, including violin, viola, cello, erhu, guitar, and 5 more reach it only at the extreme of their range.
Typing it? B5 is also written B5. Convert any frequency on the Hz-to-note converter.