Guess which sound has higher pitch: guitar or car horn?

The pitch of sound depends on the frequency of vibration of the waves. When the frequency is higher, the sound is sharper (shrill) and has a higher pitch. Pitch is basically how our ear perceives the frequency of sound.

For example, a guitar has 6 strings, and the sharpness (pitch) of each string increases as you move to the thinner, lower strings. In contrast, car horns usually produce a flat pitch with loud noise, which can even disturb the heart. This shows that the guitar produces sounds of higher frequency than a car horn.

Additional information:

• A high frequency (e.g., 880 Hz) is heard as a high pitch, while a low frequency (e.g., 55 Hz) is heard as a low pitch.
• In Western music, standard pitches are used for tuning. The commonly used reference pitch is a’ = 440 Hz, adopted in 1939.
• Before that, for about 80 years, the standard was a’ = 435 Hz.
• Earlier centuries saw a confusing variety of pitches, until the 19th century when rising pitch levels led to the need for an international standard.