Pitch Pipe Online
This online pitch pipe does what the round pitch pipe in a conductor's pocket does: tap one of the 13 buttons, from C to C, and the note sounds with the reed tone of a real chromatic pitch pipe. Hold the button and the note lasts as long as your finger stays; tap quickly to hear it for 2 seconds; or turn on Sustain to keep it ringing until the next tap. Three octaves cover everything from the C3 of low voices to the C6 of high ones.
How to use it
- Tap one of the 13 buttons to hear the note. Hold it to keep the sound going; tap quickly for 2 seconds.
- Pick the octave: C3–C4 for low voices, C4–C5 (default) or C5–C6 for high voices.
- To give the key of a song, choose the key (major or minor) and press Root, Third, Fifth or Arpeggio.
- For a choir, open Pitch for each voice part, set the first note of each section and press the part name.
- On a computer, use the keyboard like a piano: A S D F G H J K are the white keys and W E T Y U the black keys.
Help and explanations
Beyond single notes, it gives the pitch for a song: pick the key and hear the root, the third, the fifth or the whole arpeggio. For a four-part choir, store the starting note of soprano, alto, tenor and bass and play each one with its own button, or all four in a row followed by the chord. The sound is generated in your browser (Web Audio) and nothing leaves your device.
How to give the pitch to a choir
The safest way is to sound the root of the song and let the choir listen for a moment before singing: the root is the note of rest, and each section finds its own entry from it. When the piece starts on a chord, play the root, third and fifth in a row (the Arpeggio button does it for you, ending on the octave) so the group hears the whole chord. If one part has a tricky entry, use the voice block: each section's note is stored and plays from its own button, from bass up to soprano.
Give the pitch at a moderate volume, close to the singers; in a large rehearsal, connect the phone to a small speaker. Let the note ring for a second or two and go silent before the entry: singing over a pitch pipe that is still sounding hurts more than it helps. In performance, many conductors play only the soprano or bass starting note and trust the rest of the group.
Pitch pipe, tuning fork and electronic tuner
A tuning fork gives a single note, almost always A at 440 Hz, pure and without overtones; it is the reference for tuning instruments. A chromatic pitch pipe is a disc with 13 reeds, one per semitone from C to C, which is why it works for singing in any key. This page reproduces the disc: each button matches one hole, with the fuller, slightly buzzy tone a reed produces, easy to hear even in a room full of talking.
Because the sound is synthesized, there is none of the drift of a real pitch pipe, which goes flat as the reeds age or when you blow too hard. The frequencies follow the reference A chosen in the settings (440 Hz by default; 442 or 443 Hz for orchestras that tune that way).
Which octave to use
A standard pitch pipe runs from C4 (middle C on the piano, 261.6 Hz) to C5. That is the comfortable range for sopranos and altos, and men simply sing the same note an octave lower. If the choir is all male or the song starts low, switch to C3–C4, the tenor and bass range; for children's voices or a soprano entry up high, use C5–C6. The octave and the key are saved on your device for the next rehearsal.
Tips
- Turn on Sustain when you need both hands free to conduct: the note keeps ringing until you tap again or press Stop.
- To check whether the choir held the pitch to the end of the piece, play the root again: if the group dropped, you hear the gap right away.
- In a minor key, select Minor before playing the third, or the arpeggio will sound a major third.
- Lower the page volume instead of moving the phone away: the reed tone is strong and tiring when loud.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use the online pitch pipe to give the pitch?
Choose the key of the song, press Root and let the choir listen for a second or two. If the song starts on a chord, press Arpeggio (root, third, fifth and octave). To give each part its note, open the voice block, set the first note of soprano, alto, tenor and bass and press the name of each section.
Why does a pitch pipe have 13 notes?
Because it covers a full octave with all 12 semitones plus the C repeated at the top: C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, B and C. With those notes you can sing in any key; here you can also move the whole octave up or down.
Does it sound like a real pitch pipe?
Close to it: a reed tone, fuller than the pure sine of a tone generator, that gets a little thin at the top like the metal disc does. The difference is that it never drifts with age or with how hard you blow, and you can change the reference A (440, 442 Hz...) in the settings.
Can I use it on my phone during rehearsal?
Yes, the page is built for phones: the buttons are big and you hold them with a finger. Turn off silent mode on an iPhone, raise the media volume and, for a large rehearsal, connect a Bluetooth speaker. Once loaded, the page works even with a weak connection.
Can I tune a guitar or violin with it?
As a reference by ear, yes: play the string's note and adjust until the beating disappears. To see the tuning on screen, use the chromatic tuner with the microphone. For a pure 440 Hz A, like a tuning fork, use the tone generator.
How do I show the notes as Do Re Mi?
Open Settings below the tool and switch Note names from C D E to Do Re Mi. The choice applies to every tool on the site.