Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Two nearly matched frequencies produce a slow throb that stops when they agree. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a music fact?

Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Musicians tune by listening for beats

Two nearly matched frequencies produce a slow throb that stops when they agree The throb rate equals the difference between the frequencies, so skilled tuners count it rather than guess. Piano tuners deliberately leave tiny mismatches across the keyboard to spread the compromise. Electronic tuners now measure the difference directly. It sits in Mondo's music collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Britannica

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Science trivia

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Twelve pure fifths overshoot seven octavesThe gap is called the Pythagorean comma, about 23 cents Warm air makes instruments play sharpSound travels faster as temperature rises, lifting the pitch of wind instruments Halving a string raises it an octaveOther simple length ratios give fifth, fourth and third Simple frequency ratios sound calmOctaves are two to one and fifths three to two, and they blend rather than clash Orchestras tune to A at 440 hertz by international agreementThe standard was agreed in London in 1939 Orchestras tune to A at 440 hertzThat number was agreed internationally only in the twentieth century

Tags: tuning, acoustics, intervals

Musicians tune by listening for beats: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Two nearly matched frequencies produce a slow throb that stops when they agree. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a music fact?: Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.