Frequency Ranges of Instruments

Why This Matters

Every instrument in a mix occupies specific real estate in the frequency spectrum, and understanding where each one lives is fundamental to creating professional-sounding recordings. You're being tested on your ability to make mixing decisions—knowing that a kick drum and bass guitar both compete in the low end, or that female vocals and cymbals can clash in the upper mids, directly impacts how you approach EQ, panning, arrangement, and gain staging. This isn't just about memorizing numbers; it's about understanding why certain instruments mask each other and how to carve out space for each element.

The frequency ranges listed here represent fundamental frequencies—the primary pitches an instrument produces. But remember that harmonics and overtones extend well beyond these ranges, which is why a bass guitar with fundamentals below 350 Hz still needs attention at 2-3 kHz for string clarity. Don't just memorize the Hz values—know what part of the spectrum each instrument anchors and how that affects your mixing decisions.

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Low-End Foundation (20 Hz - 350 Hz)

The low end provides the weight and power of a mix. These frequencies are felt as much as heard, and managing them properly prevents muddiness while maintaining punch and warmth.

Human Hearing Range

• 20 Hz to 20 kHz defines the audible spectrum—everything in your mix must fit within these boundaries to be perceived
• Peak sensitivity occurs between 2 kHz and 5 kHz, which is why vocals and lead instruments often dominate mixes without proper gain staging
• Frequencies below 20 Hz (infrasound) can still affect your mix by consuming headroom, making high-pass filtering essential

Kick Drum

• Fundamental range of 60 Hz to 100 Hz provides the chest-thumping impact that anchors rhythm sections
• Attack and beater click live much higher (2-5 kHz), which is why kick EQ requires attention across the spectrum
• Competes directly with bass guitar—sidechain compression or complementary EQ curves are standard solutions

Bass Guitar

• Fundamentals span 41 Hz to 350 Hz, with the lowest open string (E) at approximately 41 Hz
• Harmonics extend to 4-5 kHz, where string noise and finger articulation add definition and cut
• Critical for groove and rhythm—often requires both low-end warmth and midrange presence to translate on small speakers

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Low-Mid Presence (65 Hz - 500 Hz)

This range adds body and warmth but is notoriously difficult to manage. Too much energy here creates a muddy, undefined mix; too little leaves tracks sounding thin and weak.

Cello

• Frequency range of 65 Hz to 880 Hz bridges bass and midrange instruments, providing orchestral warmth
• Lowest string (C) sits at approximately 65 Hz, overlapping significantly with bass instruments
• Rich harmonic content requires careful EQ to prevent masking in dense arrangements

Piano

• Massive range from 27.5 Hz to 4.2 kHz makes it one of the most spectrally demanding instruments to mix
• Low A (27.5 Hz) reaches below most bass instruments, while upper registers compete with vocals and guitars
• Requires frequency-specific treatment—often high-passed in band contexts to leave room for dedicated bass instruments

Male Vocals

• Fundamental range of 85 Hz to 500 Hz, with chest resonance providing depth and authority
• Presence and intelligibility depend on harmonics in the 2-5 kHz range, not the fundamentals
• Prone to muddiness—high-pass filtering around 80-100 Hz is standard practice to clean up proximity effect and room rumble

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Midrange Body (130 Hz - 1 kHz)

The midrange is where most musical information lives. This is the "meat" of your mix—where instruments establish their fundamental character and where frequency conflicts are most audible.

Saxophone

• Fundamentals from 130 Hz to 700 Hz give the instrument its warm, woody character
• Expressive range makes it highly dynamic, requiring compression to sit consistently in a mix
• Harmonics extend significantly higher, adding the brightness and edge associated with jazz and R&B tones

Snare Drum

• Fundamental body lives at 200 Hz to 400 Hz, providing the "thwack" that defines the backbeat
• Snare wire rattle and crack occur much higher (2-5 kHz), essential for cut and presence
• Key backbeat element—often receives parallel compression to maintain punch while controlling dynamics

Female Vocals

• Fundamentals span 165 Hz to 1 kHz, sitting higher than male vocals and competing with different instruments
• Clarity and brightness come from harmonics in the 3-6 kHz range, where sibilance can also become problematic
• Requires de-essing attention around 5-8 kHz to control harsh "s" and "t" sounds without dulling the performance

Trumpet

• Fundamental range of 165 Hz to 1 kHz overlaps significantly with female vocals and guitar midrange
• Brass brightness and cut come from strong harmonics above 2 kHz, making trumpets naturally forward in a mix
• Can easily dominate—often requires careful level automation or dynamic EQ to sit properly with other melodic elements

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Upper-Mid Presence (260 Hz - 5 kHz)

This range determines how forward and present instruments sound. The 2-5 kHz zone is particularly critical—it's where human hearing is most sensitive and where mix decisions have the greatest perceived impact.

Acoustic Guitar

• Fundamentals from 80 Hz to 1.2 kHz provide warmth, but the instrument's character extends much higher
• String attack and pick noise live in the 2-5 kHz range, essential for rhythmic definition
• Body resonance around 100-200 Hz can conflict with bass and kick—high-pass filtering is common in full-band contexts

Electric Guitar

• Wide fundamental range of 80 Hz to 5 kHz makes electric guitar one of the most spectrally flexible instruments
• Distortion and effects generate dense harmonic content well above the fundamentals, potentially masking other elements
• Amp and cabinet choice dramatically affect frequency distribution—bright single-coils vs. warm humbuckers require different EQ approaches

Violin

• Frequency range of 196 Hz to 3.5 kHz places it in the heart of the midrange, competing with vocals and guitars
• Brilliance and expressiveness come from harmonics above 3 kHz, where bow noise and articulation live
• Requires careful panning and EQ in pop contexts to avoid fighting with lead vocals for attention

Flute

• Fundamentals from 260 Hz to 2.3 kHz make flute a purely midrange-to-upper-mid instrument
• Breathy, airy quality comes from high-frequency content above the fundamentals, including breath noise
• Naturally cuts through mixes due to its frequency placement in the ear's most sensitive range

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High-Frequency Brilliance (300 Hz - 17 kHz)

The high end adds air, sparkle, and definition to a mix. These frequencies provide clarity and separation but can quickly become harsh or fatiguing if overemphasized.

Cymbals

• Extremely wide range from 300 Hz to 17 kHz, with the characteristic shimmer living above 8 kHz
• Fundamental "gong" tone sits lower (300-600 Hz), but most cymbal character comes from high-frequency overtones
• Can easily dominate a mix—overhead mic placement and high-shelf EQ are critical for controlling brightness without losing life

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Which two instruments share the most overlapping fundamental frequencies in the 100-400 Hz range, and how would you create separation between them in a mix?

2. If a mix sounds muddy, which instruments are most likely contributing to the problem, and what frequency range would you target with subtractive EQ?

3. Compare and contrast the frequency challenges of mixing male vocals versus female vocals—where does each sit, and what different problems might each present?

4. A kick drum's fundamental is 60-100 Hz, yet engineers often boost around 3-5 kHz as well. What does this higher frequency range contribute to the kick sound?

5. You're mixing a jazz quartet (piano, bass, drums, saxophone). Identify two frequency conflict zones and describe your approach to creating separation without losing the warmth of the genre.