F3 — 174.614 Hz

F3 (F3) is 174.614 Hz in standard equal temperament at A=440 Hz. It is MIDI note number 53.

F3 Frequency in All Tuning Systems

Temperament Frequency (Hz) Cents from Equal Common Usage
Equal Temperament 174.614 Hz 0.00 Modern standard; piano, fretted instruments
Pythagorean 173.827 Hz -7.82 Medieval/early music; string ensemble open fifths
Just Intonation (Major) 174.417 Hz -1.95 A cappella vocal, barbershop, Renaissance
Just Intonation (Minor) 174.417 Hz -1.95 Minor-key vocal music, string ensembles
Quarter-Comma Meantone 176.000 Hz +13.69 Renaissance keyboard, early Baroque organ
Third-Comma Meantone 176.531 Hz +18.90 Renaissance vocal music in minor keys
Sixth-Comma Meantone 175.504 Hz +8.80 Baroque orchestral ensemble compromise
Werckmeister III 175.603 Hz +9.78 Baroque keyboard; Bach contemporaries
Werckmeister IV 175.603 Hz +9.78 Baroque keyboard, strong key contrast
Werckmeister V 175.009 Hz +3.91 Specialized Baroque keyboard
Kirnberger III 176.000 Hz +13.69 Classical-era keyboard, keys near C major
Vallotti 175.405 Hz +7.82 Baroque/Classical orchestral tuning
Young (1799) 175.207 Hz +5.87 Classical-era keyboard
Bach/Lehman 175.405 Hz +7.82 Bach keyboard works, Well-Tempered Clavier
Neidhardt 175.207 Hz +5.87 18th century keyboard, near-equal alternative
Kellner (Bach) 175.762 Hz +11.34 Bach keyboard reconstruction

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

F3 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) 174.614 Hz US, UK, and most modern ensembles worldwide
A = 442 Hz 175.408 Hz Many European orchestras; France, Germany
A = 443 Hz 175.805 Hz Berlin Philharmonic; some US orchestras
A = 432 Hz 171.439 Hz Alternative tuning; Baroque revival
A = 415 Hz (Baroque) 164.693 Hz Historically-informed Baroque performance

f = f_at_A440 × (concert_pitch / 440)

Instruments That Play F3

F3 (174.614 Hz) falls within the comfortable playing range of 42 instruments.

Acoustic Guitar Alto (Contralto) Alto Saxophone Banjo (5-string) Banjo (Tenor, 4-string) Baritone Baritone Saxophone Bass Bass Clarinet Bass Flute Bass Guitar (4-string) Bass Trombone Bassoon Cello Clarinet in A Clarinet in Bb Classical Guitar Contrabassoon Cornet Double Bass Electric Bass (5-string) Electric Guitar English Horn Euphonium Flugelhorn French Horn in F Harp (Pedal) Marimba Recorder (Bass) Tenor Tenor Saxophone Timpani Trombone (Tenor) Trumpet in Bb Trumpet in C Tuba (Bb) Tuba (C) Tuba (Eb) Tuba (F) Ukulele (Baritone) Vibraphone Viola

Why F3 Varies Across Tuning Systems

F3 shows a maximum deviation of +18.90 cents in Third-Comma Meantone compared to equal temperament. This 19-cent difference is clearly audible to trained musicians and reflects how different tuning philosophies prioritize interval purity over equal distribution.

In Third-Comma Meantone, F3 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 F3, making this note one where tuning system choice has a meaningful impact on pitch.

F3 Across All Tuning Systems

Explore how F3 is tuned in each historical temperament system. Each tuning system gives F3 a slightly different frequency, affecting the harmonic character of chords and melodies.

Equal Temperament Pythagorean Tuning Just Intonation (Major) Just Intonation (Minor) Quarter-Comma Meantone Third-Comma Meantone Sixth-Comma Meantone Werckmeister III Werckmeister IV Werckmeister V Kirnberger III Vallotti Young (1799) Bach/Lehman Neidhardt Kellner (Bach)

Tune F3 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.

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