B♭ / A♯ tuning drone
A steady B♭ to tune and practise against — B♭3 233.1 Hz at A = 440
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Be the first to rate this toolB♭ / A♯ tuning drone — what it is for
The B♭ drone is the concert-band tuning note and the key of the trumpet, clarinet and tenor saxophone, so a B♭ drone is what most wind players warm up and tune against.
At the standard A = 440 Hz, B♭4 is 466.2 Hz; each octave down halves that (B♭3 is 233.1 Hz, B♭2 is 116.5 Hz) and each octave up doubles it (B♭5 is 932.3 Hz). Orchestras that tune to A = 442 hear every B♭ a little higher — the table below gives both.
Press Play drone above and tune or play against B♭: match the pitch until the beating disappears, then hold long notes, scales and intervals over it. Pick the octave nearest your instrument — B♭2 or B♭3 for cello, bass and guitar, B♭3 or B♭4 for violin, voice and winds — and add the fifth for a fuller reference.
B♭ in every octave
Frequencies in hertz at the three reference pitches you are likely to meet: baroque A = 415, the standard A = 440, and A = 442 used by many orchestras.
| Note | A = 415 | A = 440 | A = 442 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B♭1 | 54.96 Hz | 58.27 Hz | 58.54 Hz |
| B♭2 | 109.9 Hz | 116.5 Hz | 117.1 Hz |
| B♭3 | 219.8 Hz | 233.1 Hz | 234.1 Hz |
| B♭4 | 439.7 Hz | 466.2 Hz | 468.3 Hz |
| B♭5 | 879.4 Hz | 932.3 Hz | 936.6 Hz |
| B♭6 | 1758.7 Hz | 1864.7 Hz | 1873.1 Hz |
Instruments tuned to B♭
Open strings and tuning notes on B♭. Set the drone to the same octave and tune until the beating stops.
- Concert band — the tuning note (concert B♭) (B♭4)
- Trumpet, clarinet, tenor saxophone — written C sounds B♭ — instrument key (B♭)
- Trombone, euphonium, tuba — fundamental of the open instrument (B♭)
Scales to practise over a B♭ drone
Each opens on the scale finder, lit up on the keyboard, so you can hear the notes before you play them against the drone.
Frequently asked questions
- What frequency is B♭?
- At the standard reference of A = 440 Hz, B♭4 is 466.2 Hz, B♭3 is 233.1 Hz and B♭2 is 116.5 Hz. Each octave doubles or halves the frequency. At A = 442 every B♭ is about 0.8% higher.
- Which instruments tune to B♭?
- Concert band (the tuning note (concert B♭), B♭4); Trumpet, clarinet, tenor saxophone (written C sounds B♭ — instrument key, B♭); Trombone, euphonium, tuba (fundamental of the open instrument, B♭). Play the drone in the matching octave and tune until the beating between the string and the drone stops.
- Which octave of B♭ should I use?
- The one nearest what you play. Cello, bass and guitar sit comfortably against B♭2 or B♭3; violin, viola, voice and most wind instruments against B♭3 or B♭4. A lower drone is easier to hear beating against; a higher one is closer to a melody line.
- How do I practise intonation with a B♭ drone?
- Start the drone, play B♭ yourself and adjust until the wavering (beating) disappears. Then play the B♭/A♯ major scale slowly, listening for each note to lock in against the drone — the fifth and the octave should sound perfectly still, the third and seventh will pull. Add the fifth to the drone for a fuller reference chord.