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Compare two pitches

Separate high and low pitch from loud and quiet volume.

Pitch is not volume

1 of 4

1C42C5
Written example: C4 followed by C5, an octave higher.

Pitch is how high or low a tone sounds, related to its frequency. More vibrations per second means a higher frequency. Volume is how loud or quiet it sounds. Making a tone louder does not make its pitch higher. These are written examples, not a listening test.

Notes use C D E F G A B. ♯ raises a note one semitone; ♭ lowers it one.

Lesson help

Hear the first tone as a reference, then compare the second tone’s pitch, not its volume.

About this lesson

Try the method in a practice when you are ready.

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Pitch is not volume

Pitch is how high or low a tone sounds, related to its frequency. More vibrations per second means a higher frequency. Volume is how loud or quiet it sounds. Making a tone louder does not make its pitch higher. These are written examples, not a listening test.

Notes use C D E F G A B. ♯ raises a note one semitone; ♭ lowers it one.

1C42C5
Written example: C4 followed by C5, an octave higher.

Compare the second tone with the first

C4 followed by G4 moves upward in pitch within the same octave. In the practice, hear both tones before choosing higher, lower or the same. You do not have to name the notes: compare the second tone with the first.

1C42G4
Written example: C4 followed by G4, moving upward in pitch.

Read a downward pair

Now the order is G4 followed by C4. The notes are the same as before, but their order is reversed. Which direction does the second note move?

1G42C4
Written pair: G4 followed by C4, moving downward in pitch.

Try it

Compared with G4, is the following C4 higher or lower?

  1. Higher
  2. Lower
Show the answer

Lower

Correct. C4 is lower than G4. Loudness does not determine that direction.

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Practice Pitch direction