Pitch, though subjective, is measurable in Hz by matching against a sine wave

Evidence

The pitch of a note varies as its f0 is changed: the greater the f0 the higher the pitch and vice versa. Although the measurement of pitch and f0 are subjective and objective and measured on a scale of high/low and Hz, respectively, a measurement of pitch can be given in Hz. This is achieved by asking a listener to compare the sound of interest by switching between it and a sine wave with a variable FIGURE 3. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 827

Although the measurement of pitch and f0 are subjective and objective and measured on a scale of high/low and Hz respectively, a measurement of pitch can be given in Hz. This is achieved by asking a listener to compare the sound of interest by switching between it and a sine wave with a variable frequency. The listener would adjust the frequency of the sine wave until the pitches of the two sounds are perceived as being equal, at which point the pitch of the sound of interest is equal to the frequency of the sine wave in Hz. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 833

Although the measurement of pitch and f0 are subjective and objective and measured on a scale of high/low and Hz, respectively, a measurement of pitch can be given in Hz. This is achieved by asking a listener to compare the sound of interest by switching between it and a sine wave with a variable FIGURE 3. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 827

Categorization

• DEFINE: Distinguishes subjective pitch (high/low) from objective f0 (Hz) and explains the matching method.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: how reliable is equal-pitch matching across harmonics-rich vs. pure-tone sounds, and what happens when no matching frequency exists?
• corroborated: 4 independent passages support this claim — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 827; David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 833
• XREF: connects to: Frequency measured in Hertz is dimensionally inverse seconds; Pitch maps to repetition frequency but is not a simple physical property.; Sine waves are fully described by amplitude, frequency, and phase — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 136 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Pitch is a subjective perceptual judgment requiring a human listener to measure. #corroborates (0.90) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 824
• The fundamental frequency of a pitched sound is measurable from its waveform period #expands (0.85) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 891
• Pitch is perceptual while frequency is acoustic, and not all sounds have pitch #corroborates (0.80)