Piano Guidance
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Is a 440 above middle C?

A440 (also known as Stuttgart pitch) is the musical pitch corresponding to an audio frequency of 440 Hz, which serves as a tuning standard for the musical note of A above middle C, or A4 in scientific pitch notation.

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Pitch standard

Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can download the audio file A440, piano and violin A440 (also known as Stuttgart pitch[1]) is the musical pitch corresponding to an audio frequency of 440 Hz, which serves as a tuning standard for the musical note of A above middle C, or A 4 in scientific pitch notation. It is standardized by the International Organization for Standardization as ISO 16. While other frequencies have been (and occasionally still are) used to tune the first A above middle C, A440 is now commonly used as a reference frequency to calibrate acoustic equipment and to tune pianos, violins, and other musical instruments.

History and use [ edit ]

Before standardization on 440 Hz, many countries and organizations followed the French standard since the 1860s of 435 Hz, which had also been the Austrian government's 1885 recommendation.[2] Johann Heinrich Scheibler recommended A440 as a standard in 1834 after inventing the "tonometer" to measure pitch,[3] and it was approved by the Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians at a meeting in Stuttgart the same year.[4] The American music industry reached an informal standard of 440 Hz in 1926, and some began using it in instrument manufacturing. In 1936, the American Standards Association recommended that the A above middle C be tuned to 440 Hz.[5] This standard was taken up by the International Organization for Standardization in 1955 as Recommendation R 16,[6] before being formalised in 1975 as ISO 16.[7] It is designated A 4 in scientific pitch notation because it occurs in the octave that starts with the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard. On MIDI, A440 is note 69 (0x45 hexadecimal).

Modern practices [ edit ]

A 4 (yellow) highlighted. An 88-key piano, with the octaves numbered and middle C (cyan) and(yellow) highlighted. A440 is widely used as concert pitch in the United Kingdom[8] and the United States.[9] In continental Europe the frequency of A 4 commonly varies between 440 Hz and 444 Hz.[8] In the period instrument movement, a consensus has arisen around a modern baroque pitch of 415 Hz (with 440 Hz corresponding to A♯), a 'baroque' pitch for some special church music (in particular, some German church music, e.g. the pre-Leipzig period cantatas of Bach)[10] known as Chorton pitch at 466 Hz (with 440 Hz corresponding to A♭), and classical pitch at 427–430 Hz.[10] A440 5 seconds of a pure tone at 440 Hz Problems playing this file? See media help. A440 is often used as a tuning reference in just intonation regardless of the fundamental note or key. The US time and frequency station WWV broadcasts a 440 Hz signal at two minutes past every hour, with WWVH broadcasting the same tone at the first minute past every hour. This was added in 1936 to aid orchestras in tuning their instruments.[11]

See also [ edit ]

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Who is the #1 female singer?

Madonna is believed to have sold the most records among any female music artists in history, with 335 million records sold worldwide, recognized by the Guinness World Records and other major media outlets while the best-selling Latin artist of all time is Shakira with more than 80 million records sold.

Guinness World Records as the "Best-selling female recording artist of all time". Madonna is recognized byas the "Best-selling female recording artist of all time". The following is a list of the world's best-selling female music artists of all time. The criteria for inclusion are women whose claimed record sales have at least reached 75 million or more of their musical productions. Artists are listed in order of the number of records sold alongside available cross-referenced music recording certifications; the highest being for claims of at least 335 million records, and the lowest for claims of 75 million records. Since there is no official entity that certifies sales in their totality;[1] the artists' sales figure must have been published by a reliable source (news organizations and highly regarded music industry-related organization) such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, MTV, and VH1. Madonna is believed to have sold the most records among any female music artists in history, with 335 million records sold worldwide,[2][3] recognized by the Guinness World Records and other major media outlets while the best-selling Latin artist of all time is Shakira with more than 80 million records sold.[4]

Female artists by reputed sales [ edit ]

300 million or more records sold [ edit ]

Madonna Artist Country of origin Period of activity Genre(s) Estimated sales Madonna United States 1982–present Pop / dance / electronic 335 million[2][3]300 million

200 million to 299 million records [ edit ]

100 million to 199 million records [ edit ]

75 million to 99 million records [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

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