The violin’s range in notes and hertz
| Sounding | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme low | D3 | 146.83 Hz |
| Practical low | G3 | 196.00 Hz |
| Practical high | E7 | 2637.0 Hz |
| Extreme high | C8 | 4186.0 Hz |
The top is the least fixed end: E7 is the usual limit of orchestral writing, and higher notes depend on the length of the fingerboard, the player, and harmonics. The low end moves only if the G string is tuned down, which is rare.
Written and sounding pitch
The violin reads at concert pitch in treble clef: a written note sounds as written, so the range above is both the sound and the page.
Instruments with a similar range
The instruments whose normal range shares the most notes with the violin’s:
- Piano · A0–C8 46 notes shared
- Viola · C3–D7 44 notes shared
- Mandolin · G3–D7 44 notes shared
- E♭ clarinet · G3–C7 42 notes shared
- Marimba · C2–C7 42 notes shared
- Cello · C2–A6 39 notes shared
Tune it, play it
- Violin tuner — tune by microphone, with the violin’s own target notes.
- Play a violin online — the same range, playable in your browser.
Songs that fit the violin
36 songs from our public-domain library fit inside the violin’s range, each written out in the notation violin players read:
- Hot Cross Buns
- Lightly Row
- Going Home (New World Largo)
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- Happy Birthday
- Ode to Joy
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Jingle Bells
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Yankee Doodle
- Silent Night
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of a violin?
The violin’s normal range runs from G3 to E7 — 196.00 to 2637.0 Hz, about 3.8 octaves. At the extremes it reaches D3–C8.
What is the lowest note on a violin?
D3 (146.83 Hz), on instruments that have it; the usual bottom is G3.
What is the highest note on a violin?
E7 is the top of the normal range, and C8 (4186.0 Hz) is reachable at the extreme.