Pitch vs. Volume — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 14, 2024
Pitch determines how high or low a sound is, based on its frequency, while volume measures the loudness or intensity of a sound, influenced by its amplitude.
Difference Between Pitch and Volume
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pitch and volume are two fundamental attributes of sound that are often discussed together but represent distinct qualities. Pitch is determined by the frequency of the sound waves, where higher frequencies produce higher pitches and lower frequencies result in lower pitches. On the other hand, volume, or loudness, is determined by the amplitude of the sound waves, with greater amplitudes leading to louder sounds and smaller amplitudes producing quieter sounds.
While pitch is perceived as how "high" or "low" a sound is, volume refers to how "loud" or "soft" that sound appears to a listener. For instance, a bird's chirp might have a high pitch but a low volume, whereas the rumbling of thunder may have a low pitch and a high volume.
The measurement of pitch is typically in Hertz (Hz), reflecting the frequency of sound vibrations per second. In contrast, volume is measured in decibels (dB), which quantify the intensity or pressure of sound waves relative to a standard reference level.
Musicians and audio engineers often manipulate pitch and volume to create specific effects or moods in music. While adjusting the pitch can change the key or harmony of a piece, altering the volume can affect its dynamics and emotional impact.
Human perception of pitch and volume also involves some interdependence. For example, changes in volume can slightly affect the perceived pitch of a sound, although this effect is more subtle than the direct manipulation of frequency or amplitude.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The highness or lowness of a sound, determined by frequency.
The loudness or softness of a sound, influenced by amplitude.
Measurement Unit
Hertz (Hz)
Decibels (dB)
Perception
Determined by the frequency of sound waves.
Influenced by the amplitude of sound waves.
Importance in Music
Affects the melody and harmony by altering the key or notes.
Affects the dynamics and emotional intensity of the music.
Physical Property
Frequency
Amplitude
Compare with Definitions
Pitch
The attribute of a sound that determines the level of its frequency.
A high-pitched whistle can be more piercing to the ear than a low-pitched hum.
Volume
The measure of a sound's loudness or intensity, dependent on amplitude.
The volume of music at a concert can feel overwhelming compared to a home stereo.
Pitch
Can be altered by the medium through which sound travels.
Sound pitches tend to vary underwater compared to air.
Volume
Sound volume decreases with distance from the source due to energy dispersion.
The sound of a siren is louder as an ambulance approaches and fades as it moves away.
Pitch
Quantified in units of Hertz (Hz), indicating the frequency of vibrations.
Middle C on a piano has a pitch of approximately 261.63 Hz.
Volume
Determined by how loud or soft a sound is perceived by the ear.
Whispering is at a low volume, while shouting is at a high volume.
Pitch
Integral to the melody and harmony in music.
Adjusting the pitch can change the mood or feel of a song.
Volume
Influences the dynamic range and emotional impact in music.
Crescendos in symphonies dramatically increase the volume to heighten emotional effect.
Pitch
Perceived by the ear as how high or low a sound seems.
Birds typically produce high-pitched singing sounds.
Volume
Measured in decibels (dB), a logarithmic unit that expresses the ratio of a physical quantity to a reference level.
Normal conversation is around 60 dB, whereas a jet engine might be over 140 dB.
Pitch
The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone
Her voice rose steadily in pitch
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by a closed surface, for example, the space that a substance (solid, liquid, gas, or plasma) or 3D shape occupies or contains. Volume is often quantified numerically using the SI derived unit, the cubic metre.
Pitch
The steepness of a slope, especially of a roof.
Volume
A collection of written or printed sheets bound together; a book.
Pitch
A level of the intensity of something, especially a high level
The media furore reached such a pitch that the company withdrew the product
Volume
One of the books of a work printed and bound in more than one book.
Pitch
An area of ground marked out or used for play in an outdoor team game
A football pitch
Volume
A series of issues of a periodical, usually covering one calendar year.
Pitch
A delivery of the ball by the pitcher.
Volume
A unit of written material assembled together and cataloged in a library.
Pitch
A form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something
He put over a very strong sales pitch
Volume
A roll of parchment; a scroll.
Pitch
A place where a street vendor or performer stations themselves or sets up a stall
The traders had already reserved their pitches
Volume
The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space, expressed in cubic units.
Pitch
A swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion
The pitch and roll of the ship
Volume
The capacity of such a region or of a specified container, expressed in cubic units.
Pitch
The distance between successive corresponding points or lines, for example between the teeth of a cogwheel.
Volume
Amount; quantity:a low volume of business; a considerable volume of lumber.
Pitch
A sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semi-liquid when hot and hardens when cold, obtained by distilling tar or turpentine and used for waterproofing.
Volume
OftenvolumesA large amount:volumes of praise.
Pitch
Set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch
You've pitched the melody very high
Volume
The amplitude or loudness of a sound.
Pitch
Throw roughly or casually
He crumpled the page up and pitched it into the fireplace
Volume
A control, as on a radio, for adjusting amplitude or loudness.
Pitch
Throw (the ball) for the batter to try to hit.
Volume
A three-dimensional measure of space that comprises a length, a width and a height. It is measured in units of cubic centimeters in metric, cubic inches or cubic feet in English measurement.
The room is 9x12x8, so its volume is 864 cubic feet.
The proper products can improve your hair's volume.
Pitch
Make a bid to obtain a contract or other business
I've been pitching for this account for over a month
Volume
Strength of sound; loudness.
Please turn down the volume on the stereo.
Volume can be measured in decibels.
Pitch
Set up and fix in position
We pitched camp for the night
Volume
The issues of a periodical over a period of one year.
I looked at this week's copy of the magazine. It was volume 23, issue 45.
Pitch
(of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front moves up and down
The little steamer pressed on, pitching gently
Volume
A bound book.
Pitch
Cause (a roof) to slope downwards from the ridge
The roof was pitched at an angle of 75 degrees
Volume
A single book of a publication issued in multi-book format, such as an encyclopedia.
The letter "G" was found in volume 4.
Pitch
Pave (a road) with stones
Another sort of stone is used for pitching streets
Volume
A great amount (of meaning) about something.
Pitch
(in brewing) add yeast to (wort) to induce fermentation.
Volume
(obsolete) A roll or scroll, which was the form of ancient books.
Pitch
Cover, coat, or smear with pitch.
Volume
Quantity.
The volume of ticket sales decreased this week.
Pitch
Any of various thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing, roofing, caulking, and paving.
Volume
A rounded mass or convolution.
Pitch
Any of various natural bitumens, such as mineral pitch or asphalt.
Volume
(economics) The total supply of money in circulation or, less frequently, total amount of credit extended, within a specified national market or worldwide.
Pitch
A resin derived from the sap of various coniferous trees, as the pines.
Volume
(computing) An accessible storage area with a single file system, typically resident on a single partition of a hard disk.
Pitch
The act or an instance of pitching.
Volume
(bodybuilding) The total of weight worked by a muscle in one training session, the weight of every single repetition summed up.
Pitch
A throw of the ball by the pitcher to the batter.
Volume
(intransitive) To be conveyed through the air, waft.
Pitch
A ball so thrown
Hit the pitch into left field.
Volume
(transitive) To cause to move through the air, waft.
Pitch
(Sports) A playing field. Also called wicket.
Volume
(intransitive) To swell.
Pitch
(Nautical) The alternate dip and rise of a vessel's bow and stern.
Volume
A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients.
The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a volume (volumen).
Pitch
The alternate lift and descent of the nose and tail of an airplane.
Volume
Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover; as, a work in four volumes.
An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set.
Pitch
A steep slope.
Volume
Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil.
So glides some trodden serpent on the grass,And long behind wounded volume trails.
Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.
Pitch
The degree of such a slope.
Volume
Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk; as, the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.
Pitch
(Sports) A single interval between ledges or anchors used as belaying points in mountaineering
A climb of six pitches.
Volume
Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.
Pitch
The angle of a roof.
Volume
The amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object;
The gas expanded to twice its original volume
Pitch
The highest point of a structure
The pitch of an arch.
Volume
The property of something that is great in magnitude;
It is cheaper to buy it in bulk
He received a mass of correspondence
The volume of exports
Pitch
A level or degree, as of intensity
Worked at a feverish pitch.
Volume
Physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together;
He used a large book as a doorstop
Pitch
(Acoustics) The distinctive quality of a sound, dependent primarily on the frequency of the sound waves produced by its source.
Volume
A publication that is one of a set of several similar publications;
The third volume was missing
He asked for the 1989 volume of the Annual Review
Pitch
(Music) The relative position of a tone within a range of musical sounds, as determined by this quality.
Volume
A relative amount;
Mix one volume of the solution with ten volumes of water
Pitch
(Music) Any of various standards for this quality associating each tone with a particular frequency.
Volume
The magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction);
The kids played their music at full volume
Pitch
The distance traveled by a machine screw in a single revolution.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on adjacent screw threads or gear teeth.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on a helix.
Pitch
The distance that a propeller would travel in an ideal medium during one complete revolution, measured parallel to the shaft of the propeller.
Pitch
A line of talk designed to persuade
"[his] pious pitch for ... austerity" (Boston Globe).
Pitch
An advertisement.
Pitch
Chiefly British The stand of a vendor or hawker.
Pitch
(Games) See seven-up.
Pitch
(Printing) The density of characters in a printed line, usually expressed as characters per inch.
Pitch
To smear or cover with pitch.
Pitch
To throw, usually with careful aim.
Pitch
To discard by throwing
Pitched my worn-out sneakers.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) from the mound to the batter.
Pitch
To play (a game or part of a game) as pitcher.
Pitch
To assign as pitcher
The manager decided to pitch a left-hander.
Pitch
To erect or establish; set up
Pitched a tent.
Pitch camp.
Pitch
To set firmly; implant; embed
Pitched stakes in the ground.
Pitch
To set at a specified downward slant
Pitched the roof at a steep angle.
Pitch
To set at a particular level, degree, or quality
Pitched her expectations too high.
Pitch
(Music) To set the pitch or key of.
Pitch
To adapt so as to be applicable; direct
Pitched his speech to the teenagers in the audience.
Pitch
(Informal) To attempt to promote or sell, often in a high-pressure manner
"showed up on local TV to pitch their views" (Business Week).
Pitch
(Sports) To hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
To lead (a card), thus establishing the trump suit.
Pitch
To discard (a card other than a trump and different in suit from the card led).
Pitch
To throw or toss something, such as a ball, horseshoe, or bale.
Pitch
(Baseball) To play in the position of pitcher.
Pitch
To plunge headlong
He pitched over the railing.
Pitch
To stumble around; lurch.
Pitch
To buck, as a horse.
Pitch
(Nautical) To dip bow and stern alternately.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis so that the nose lifts or descends in relation to the tail. Used of an aircraft.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis that is both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and horizontal to the earth. Used of a missile or spacecraft.
Pitch
To slope downward
The hill pitches steeply.
Pitch
To set up living quarters; encamp; settle.
Pitch
(Sports) To hit a golf ball in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
A sticky, gummy substance secreted by trees; sap.
It is hard to get this pitch off my hand.
Pitch
A dark, extremely viscous material remaining in still after distilling crude oil and tar.
They put pitch on the mast to protect it.
The barrel was sealed with pitch.
It was pitch black because there was no moon.
Pitch
(geology) Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
A good pitch in quoits
Pitch
(baseball) The act of pitching a baseball.
The pitch was low and inside.
Pitch
The field on which cricket, soccer, rugby, gridiron or field hockey is played. cricket pitch.}} Not often used in the US or Canada, where "field" is the preferred word.
The teams met on the pitch.
Pitch
(rare) The field of battle.
Pitch
An effort to sell or promote something.
He gave me a sales pitch.
Pitch
The distance between evenly spaced objects, e.g. the teeth of a saw or gear, the turns of a screw thread, the centres of holes, or letters in a monospace font.
The pitch of pixels on the point scale is 72 pixels per inch.
The pitch of this saw is perfect for that type of wood.
A helical scan with a pitch of zero is equivalent to constant z-axis scanning.
Pitch
The angle at which an object sits.
The pitch of the roof or haystack
Pitch
The rotation angle about the transverse axis.
Pitch
The degree to which a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, rotates on such an axis, tilting its bow or nose up or down. Compare with roll, yaw, and heave.
The pitch of an aircraft
Pitch
(aviation) A measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
The propeller blades' pitch went to 90° as the engine was feathered.
Pitch
An area in a market (or similar) allocated to a particular trader.
Pitch
(by extension) The place where a busker performs, a prostitute solicits clients, or an illegal gambling game etc. is set up before the public.
Pitch
An area on a campsite intended for occupation by a single tent, caravan or similar.
Pitch
A level or degree, or (by extension), a peak or highest degree.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point of elevation or depression.
Pitch
The most thrust-out point of a headland or cape.
Pitch
Collectively, the outermost points of some part of the body, especially the shoulders or hips.
Pitch
The height a bird reaches in flight, especially a bird of prey preparing to swoop down on its prey.
Pitch
A person's or animal's height.
Pitch
Prominence; importance.
Pitch
(climbing) A section of a climb or rock face; specifically, the climbing distance between belays or stances.
Pitch
(caving) A vertical cave passage, only negotiable by using rope or ladders.
The entrance pitch requires 30 metres of rope.
Pitch
(cricket) That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant.
A steep pitch in the road
The pitch of a roof
Pitch
(mining) The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The perceived frequency of a sound or note.
The pitch of middle "C" is familiar to many musicians.
Pitch
(music) The standard to which a group of musical instruments are tuned or in which a piece is performed, usually by reference to the frequency to which the musical note A above middle C is tuned.
Are we in baroque pitch for this one?
Pitch
(music) In an a cappella group, the singer responsible for singing a note for the other members to tune themselves by.
Bob, our pitch, let out a clear middle "C" and our conductor gave the signal to start.
Pitch
To cover or smear with pitch.
Pitch
To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw.
He pitched the horseshoe.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) toward a batter at home plate.
The hurler pitched a curveball.
He pitched high and inside.
Pitch
To play baseball in the position of pitcher.
Bob pitches today.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw away; discard.
He pitched the candy wrapper.
Pitch
(transitive) To promote, advertise, or attempt to sell.
He pitched the idea for months with no takers.
Pitch
(transitive) To deliver in a certain tone or style, or with a certain audience in mind.
At which level should I pitch my presentation?
Pitch
(transitive) To assemble or erect (a tent).
Pitch the tent over there.
Pitch
(intransitive) To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To move so that the front of an aircraft or boat goes alternatively up and down.
The typhoon pitched the deck of the ship.
The airplane pitched.
Pitch
To play a short, high, lofty shot that lands with backspin.
The only way to get on the green from here is to pitch the ball over the bunker.
Pitch
To bounce on the playing surface.
The ball pitched well short of the batsman.
Pitch
To settle and build up, without melting.
Pitch
To alight; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
Pitch
(with on or upon) To fix one's choice.
Pitch
(intransitive) To plunge or fall; especially, to fall forward; to decline or slope.
To pitch from a precipice
The field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones.
Pitch
To set or fix.
Pitch
To discard for some gain.
Pitch
To attack, or position or assemble for attack.
Pitch
(intransitive) To produce a note of a given pitch.
Pitch
(transitive) To fix or set the tone of.
Pitch
A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope, canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
Pitch
See Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.
Pitch
That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the pitch of heaven, downInto this deep.
Enterprises of great pitch and moment.
To lowest pitch of abject fortune.
He lived when learning was at its highest pitch.
The exact pitch, or limits, where temperance ends.
Pitch
Height; stature.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant; as, a steep pitch in the road; the pitch of a roof.
Pitch
The relative acuteness or gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and low.
Pitch
The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing, measured on the pitch line; - called also circular pitch.
Pitch
The distance between symmetrically arranged or corresponding parts of an armature, measured along a line, called the pitch line, drawn around its length. Sometimes half of this distance is called the pitch.
Pitch
To cover over or smear with pitch.
Pitch
Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
The welkin pitched with sullen could.
Pitch
To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pitch a ball.
Pitch
To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to arrange; as, to pitch a tent; to pitch a camp.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Pitch
To fix or set the tone of; as, to pitch a tune.
Pitch
To set or fix, as a price or value.
Pitch
To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees] pitch.
Pitch
To fix one's choise; - with on or upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
Pitch
To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward; to decline or slope; as, to pitch from a precipice; the vessel pitches in a heavy sea; the field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
The property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Pitch
(baseball) the throwing of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
Pitch
A vendor's position (especially on the sidewalk);
He was employed to see that his paper's news pitches were not trespassed upon by rival vendors
Pitch
Promotion by means of an argument and demonstration
Pitch
Degree of deviation from a horizontal plane;
The roof had a steep pitch
Pitch
Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
Pitch
A high approach shot in golf
Pitch
An all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
Pitch
Abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance);
The pitching and tossing was quite exciting
Pitch
The action or manner of throwing something;
His pitch fell short and his hat landed on the floor
Pitch
Throw or toss with a light motion;
Flip me the beachball
Toss me newspaper
Pitch
Move abruptly;
The ship suddenly lurched to the left
Pitch
Fall or plunge forward;
She pitched over the railing of the balcony
Pitch
Set to a certain pitch;
He pitched his voice very low
Pitch
Sell or offer for sale from place to place
Pitch
Be at an angle;
The terrain sloped down
Pitch
Heel over;
The tower is tilting
The ceiling is slanting
Pitch
Erect and fasten;
Pitch a tent
Pitch
Throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball;
The pitcher delivered the ball
Pitch
Hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin
Pitch
Lead (a card) and establish the trump suit
Pitch
Set the level or character of;
She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience
Common Curiosities
What is pitch?
Pitch is the perceived frequency of a sound, indicating how high or low it is.
How is pitch measured?
Pitch is measured in Hertz (Hz), which represents the frequency of sound vibrations per second.
Can the human ear perceive all pitches equally?
No, the human ear is more sensitive to certain frequencies, especially those in the range of human speech.
What is volume?
Volume is the perceived loudness or intensity of a sound, based on its amplitude.
Can volume and pitch be adjusted independently?
Yes, in audio production, pitch and volume can be manipulated independently to achieve desired effects.
Why do musicians adjust pitch and volume?
Musicians adjust pitch and volume to create harmony, melody, dynamics, and emotional expression in music.
How do animals use pitch and volume?
Animals use variations in pitch and volume for communication, navigation, and detecting threats.
What factors influence pitch?
Factors such as the tension of vibrating objects and the medium through which sound travels can influence pitch.
How is volume measured?
Volume is measured in decibels (dB), a logarithmic scale of sound intensity.
Can changes in medium affect pitch and volume?
Yes, changes in the medium can affect the speed of sound, potentially altering pitch and volume perception due to differences in sound wave propagation.
What role does pitch play in language?
In tonal languages, pitch can differentiate word meaning, while in non-tonal languages, it can convey emotion or question intent.
How does the environment impact the perception of pitch and volume?
The environment, including space size and acoustics, can significantly affect how pitch and volume are perceived, with certain environments amplifying or diminishing these qualities.
Does volume affect pitch?
Generally, volume does not affect pitch, but extremely loud sounds can slightly alter the perceived pitch due to nonlinearities in human hearing.
Do pitch and volume have a relationship?
While they are independent properties, changes in volume can affect the perception of pitch to some extent.
What is the difference between high pitch and high volume?
High pitch refers to a higher frequency of sound waves, while high volume refers to greater amplitude or loudness of sound waves.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
