A5 · 880.00 Hz

A5 is piano key 61 of 88 and MIDI note 81 - the upper-mid register, the top of a soprano and lead instrument lines. Play the pure tone below, tune to it, or explore the note in every octave.

880Hz
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A5 on the staff and the piano

On the treble clef, A5 sits on the first ledger line above the staff.

On the piano, A5 is key 61 of 88, octave 5 - a white key. It is 21 semitones above middle C (C4, key 40).

C4A5

Play it on the online piano, or see all 88 note frequencies on one page.

A5 at a glance

Frequency
880.00 Hz
Wavelength (in air)
39.0 cm
MIDI note
81
Piano key
61 / 88
Octave
5
Enharmonic
—

All values assume twelve-tone equal temperament at the international standard pitch of A4 = 440 Hz. In that system every semitone has the same size - a frequency ratio of 2^(1/12) - so A5 is exactly 440 × 2^(12/12) Hz. Under alternative references the note shifts with the reference: at A4 = 432 Hz, A5 becomes 864.00 Hz.

A in every octave

NoteFrequencyMIDIPiano key
A027.50 Hz211
A155.00 Hz3313
A2110.00 Hz4525
A3220.00 Hz5737
A4440.00 Hz6949
A5 ←880.00 Hz8161
A61760.0 Hz9373
A73520.0 Hz10585

Each octave doubles the frequency - the simplest relationship in music, and the reason notes an octave apart sound like “the same note, higher”.

Who plays A5

A5 is within the usual range of the piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet and trumpet. Among voice types it falls in the usual range of soprano and mezzo-soprano.

Instruments
  • Piano: A0–C8
  • Guitar (standard tuning): E2–E6
  • Violin: G3–A7
  • Viola: C3–E6
  • Cello: C2–A5
  • Flute: C4–C7
  • Clarinet (B♭): D3–B♭6
  • Trumpet (B♭): E3–B♭5
Voices
  • Soprano: C4–C6
  • Mezzo-soprano: A3–A5

Ranges are approximate: they are the commonly cited sounding (concert) pitches, and real ranges vary by player, instrument, tuning and repertoire. Guitar, bass guitar and double bass are written an octave higher than they sound; B♭ clarinet and trumpet are written a whole tone higher.

Neighboring notes

One semitone down is G♯5 at 830.61 Hz; one semitone up is A♯5 at 932.33 Hz. Need a frequency between notes, or a different waveform? The tone generator plays anything from 20 Hz to 20 kHz; the note ↔ frequency converter does the math both directions, and the chromatic tuner listens to your instrument and shows the offset in cents.

A5 FAQ

What frequency is A5?

A5 is 880.00 Hz in twelve-tone equal temperament with the standard reference of A4 = 440 Hz. Every semitone step multiplies the frequency by the twelfth root of two (about 1.0595), and A5 sits 12 semitones above A4.

What MIDI number and piano key is A5?

A5 is MIDI note 81 and key 61 of 88 on a standard piano. Octave numbering follows scientific pitch notation, where middle C is C4 (MIDI 60).

Where is A5 on the piano and the staff?

A5 is key 61 of 88 on a standard piano, in octave 5, 21 semitones above middle C. On the treble clef staff it sits on the first ledger line above the staff.

How do I tune to A5?

Play the tone above and match your instrument by ear until the beating between the two pitches slows and disappears, or use the chromatic tuner with your microphone for a cents readout. Small mistunings show up as slow beats: one beat per second at this pitch means you are about 2.0 cents off.