C5523.251 Hz

C5 (C5) is 523.251 Hz in standard equal temperament at A=440 Hz. It is MIDI note number 72.

C5 Frequency in All Tuning Systems

Temperament Frequency (Hz) Cents from Equal Common Usage
Equal Temperament 523.251 Hz 0.00 Modern standard; piano, fretted instruments
Pythagorean 521.480 Hz -5.87 Medieval/early music; string ensemble open fifths
Just Intonation (Major) 523.251 Hz 0.00 A cappella vocal, barbershop, Renaissance
Just Intonation (Minor) 523.251 Hz 0.00 Minor-key vocal music, string ensembles
Quarter-Comma Meantone 526.361 Hz +10.26 Renaissance keyboard, early Baroque organ
Third-Comma Meantone 527.405 Hz +13.69 Renaissance vocal music in minor keys
Sixth-Comma Meantone 525.326 Hz +6.85 Baroque orchestral ensemble compromise
Werckmeister III 526.808 Hz +11.73 Baroque keyboard; Bach contemporaries
Werckmeister IV 525.620 Hz +7.82 Baroque keyboard, strong key contrast
Werckmeister V 525.028 Hz +5.87 Specialized Baroque keyboard
Kirnberger III 526.361 Hz +10.26 Classical-era keyboard, keys near C major
Vallotti 525.028 Hz +5.87 Baroque/Classical orchestral tuning
Young (1799) 525.620 Hz +7.82 Classical-era keyboard
Bach/Lehman 525.028 Hz +5.87 Bach keyboard works, Well-Tempered Clavier
Neidhardt 524.434 Hz +3.91 18th century keyboard, near-equal alternative
Kellner (Bach) 526.094 Hz +9.38 Bach keyboard reconstruction

Positive cents = sharper than equal temperament. Negative cents = flatter. 100 cents = 1 semitone.

C5 at Different Concert Pitches

The same note varies in frequency depending on the concert pitch standard used by your ensemble.

Concert Pitch Frequency (Hz) Common Usage
A = 440 Hz (ISO standard) 523.251 Hz US, UK, and most modern ensembles worldwide
A = 442 Hz 525.630 Hz Many European orchestras; France, Germany
A = 443 Hz 526.819 Hz Berlin Philharmonic; some US orchestras
A = 432 Hz 513.737 Hz Alternative tuning; Baroque revival
A = 415 Hz (Baroque) 493.521 Hz Historically-informed Baroque performance

f = f_at_A440 × (concert_pitch / 440)

Instruments That Play C5

C5 (523.251 Hz) falls within the comfortable playing range of 43 instruments.

Why C5 Varies Across Tuning Systems

C5 shows a maximum deviation of +13.69 cents in Third-Comma Meantone compared to equal temperament. This 14-cent difference reflects how different tuning philosophies prioritize interval purity over equal distribution.

In Third-Comma Meantone, C5 is tuned sharper than equal temperament to achieve purer intervals with nearby notes in the tuning system's favored keys.

4 of the 15 non-equal temperaments deviate by more than 10 cents for C5, making this note one where tuning system choice has a meaningful impact on pitch.

C5 Across All Tuning Systems

Explore how C5 is tuned in each historical temperament system. Each tuning system gives C5 a slightly different frequency, affecting the harmonic character of chords and melodies.

Tune C5 with precision — Get Tunable.

Tunable supports 15+ tuning systems including equal temperament, Pythagorean, just intonation, and historical well-temperaments. See exact Hz values in real-time as you play.