WebFacts More WebFacts    WebFacts 1 An acoustical definition of pitch would designate a specific frequency for each tone. This frequency represents the rate of vibrations in the tone's sound wave, measured in Hertz. When orchestras tune to A440, they are tuning to a frequency of 440 Hertz, which produces the pitch A in a specific octave. But orchestras have not always used A440 as the standard. Before about 1750 (the latter part of the Baroque era in Western music), the frequencies for particular pitches were not standardized as they are today. In fact, modern orchestras that specialize in Baroque performance practice often tune to an A lower than the "standard" A440 . As instruments became more standardized in later eras, pitches began to be associated with the particular frequencies used today. The complete range of frequencies extends lower and higher than we can hear. (Think of dog whistles, which are silent to humans but heard by dogs.) This range is continuous like a siren, not discrete like a piano. This is why it is possible to play or sing out of tune-in the "cracks" between equal-tempered pitches.

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