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E♭2 / D♯2: frequency and where to play it

77.78 Hz

E♭2 in equal temperament at A4 = 440 Hz · MIDI note 39 · piano key 19 · Helmholtz D♯

E♭277.78 Hzat A4 = 440 Hz

E♭2 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.

ReferenceE♭2vs 440
A4 = 415 Hz · Baroque pitch73.36 Hz−101.3¢
A4 = 432 Hz · “Verdi” pitch76.37 Hz−31.8¢
A4 = 440 Hz · Standard (ISO 16)77.78 Hz—
A4 = 442 Hz · Orchestral78.14 Hz+7.9¢

One cycle of E♭2 lasts 12.856 ms, and its wavelength in air at 20 °C is 4.41 m. Hold it as a steady tone in the tone generator.

E♭2 on the piano

E♭2 is key 19 of 88, counting from the bottom — the black key between D and E. Press any key below to compare it with its neighbours.

C1D1E1F1G1A1B1C2D2E2F2G2A2B2C3D3E3F3G3A3B3C4D4E4F4G4A4B4C5D5E5F5G5A5B5C♯1E♭1F♯1A♭1B♭1C♯2E♭2F♯2A♭2B♭2C♯3E♭3F♯3A♭3B♭3C♯4E♭4F♯4A♭4B♭4C♯5E♭5F♯5A♭5B♭5C1C2C3C4C5E♭2

E♭2 on the guitar

E♭2 is below the guitar’s lowest note, the open low E (E2), so a guitar in standard tuning cannot play it.

E♭2 on the staff

♭
Bass clef

Instruments that can play E♭2

19 instruments play E♭2 within the normal range, and 1 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.

Bowed strings

Guitars and basses

Plucked and struck strings

Woodwind

Brass

Tuned percussion

Keyboards and free reeds

Only at the extreme of their range

E♭2 is outside the typical range of all six voice types. Test your own range.

The harmonics of E♭2

A played E♭2 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.

HarmonicFrequencyNearest noteOff by
1 (fundamental)77.78 HzE♭20¢
2155.56 HzE♭30¢
3233.35 HzB♭3+2.0¢
4311.13 HzE♭40¢
5388.91 HzG4−13.7¢
6466.69 HzB♭4+2.0¢
7544.47 HzC♯5−31.2¢
8622.25 HzE♭50¢

Frequently asked questions

What is the frequency of E♭2?

E♭2 is 77.78 Hz in equal temperament with A4 tuned to 440 Hz, the international standard. At A4 = 432 Hz it is 76.37 Hz, and at the orchestral A4 = 442 Hz it is 78.14 Hz.

Is E♭2 the same note as D♯2?

On a piano, a guitar or a tuner, yes: E♭2 and D♯2 are the same key and the same frequency, 77.78 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 E♭2 on a piano?

E♭2 is key 19 of 88, counting from the bottom — the black key between D and E.

Which instruments can play E♭2?

19 of the instruments we chart play E♭2 within their normal range, including cello, double bass, 7-string guitar, 8-string guitar, brazilian 7-string guitar, and 1 more reach it only at the extreme of their range.

Typing it? E♭2 is also written Eb2 or D#2. Convert any frequency on the Hz-to-note converter.