Chord Frequency Calculator
Calculate the frequencies of all tones in a chord from its root.
About Chord Frequency Calculator
A chord stacks selected scale degrees above its root, and each tone's frequency follows from the equal-tempered step. Laying out chord tones in hertz helps sound designers tune all voices of a chord to the same reference.
Formula
Chord Frequency
Each chord tone = root x 2^(scale degree / 12)
- scale degree
- Semitone distance of the third, fifth and seventh from the root
Worked example
With the default values below, Chord Frequency Calculator returns Root of 261.63. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Root MIDI noteaccepts 0–127
- 60
- Chord qualityone of Major, Minor, Diminished, Augmented, Major 7th, Minor 7th, Dominant 7th, Suspended 2, Suspended 4
- Major
Results
- Root
- 261.63 Hz
- Third
- 329.63 Hz
- Fifth
- 392.00 Hz
- Seventh
- 0.00 Hz
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Chord Frequency
- 3Root= 261.63 Hz
- 4Third= 329.63 Hz
- 5Fifth= 392.00 Hz
- 6Seventh= 0.00 Hz
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Chord Frequency calculated?
Each chord tone = root x 2^(scale degree / 12) A chord stacks selected scale degrees above its root, and each tone's frequency follows from the equal-tempered step.
Why does Chord Frequency matter?
Laying out chord tones in hertz helps sound designers tune all voices of a chord to the same reference.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Root MIDI note, Chord quality. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.