Musical Interval
Find the musical interval in semitones and cents between two pitches.
About Musical Interval
The ratio of the two frequencies is turned into an equal-tempered distance, where twelve hundred cents span one octave. Interval distance determines harmony, so comparing two tones in cents reveals if they sit on a clean scale or a detuned gap.
Formula
Musical Interval
Cents = log2(upper / lower) x 1200
- st
- Semitones, single half-step units of the Western scale
Worked example
With the default values below, Musical Interval returns Interval of 7.02. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Lower frequencyminimum 20 Hz
- 440 Hz
- Upper frequencyminimum 20 Hz
- 660 Hz
Results
- Interval
- 7.02 st
- Cents
- 702.0 cent
- Frequency Ratio
- 1.5000
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Musical Interval
- 3Interval= 7.02 st
- 4Cents= 702.0 cent
- 5Frequency Ratio= 1.5000
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 or fees or charges into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 4 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 Musical Interval calculated?
Cents = log2(upper / lower) x 1200 The ratio of the two frequencies is turned into an equal-tempered distance, where twelve hundred cents span one octave.
Why does Musical Interval matter?
Interval distance determines harmony, so comparing two tones in cents reveals if they sit on a clean scale or a detuned gap.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 2 inputs: Lower frequency, Upper frequency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.