BPM pitch shift calculator

Calculate the pitch shift in semitones when changing BPM while maintaining the same duration. This tool is useful for music production and audio engineering.

Input Parameters

Calculation Results

Calculation Formula

Pitch shift (semitones) = 12 × log₂(Original BPM / New BPM)

Where:
- 12 is the number of semitones in an octave
- log₂ represents the logarithm base 2
- Original BPM is the initial tempo in beats per minute
- New BPM is the target tempo in beats per minute

Results

Pitch shift:

0.00 semitones

Pitch direction:

None

BPM pitch shift calculator Calculator Usage Guide

Learn how to use the BPM pitch shift calculator and its working principles

How to use the calculator

  1. Enter the original BPM (beats per minute) in the first field. This is your current tempo.
  2. Enter the new BPM (beats per minute) in the second field. This is your target tempo.
  3. Click the "Calculate" button to determine the pitch shift in semitones.
  4. The calculator will display the pitch shift amount and direction (upward or downward).

Understanding the formula

The calculator uses the following formula to calculate pitch shift:

Pitch shift (semitones) = 12 × log₂(Original BPM / New BPM)

This formula works because a doubling or halving of frequency corresponds to one octave change (12 semitones), and the logarithm base 2 captures this exponential relationship between BPM ratios and pitch shifts.

Practical applications

  • Music Production: When matching tempos between tracks while maintaining melodic integrity.
  • Live Performance: Adjusting song tempos for different performance settings.
  • Audio Restoration: Correcting pitch in recordings where the tempo has changed but not the duration.
  • Composition: Creating harmonic relationships between differently tempoed sections.

Example scenarios

Example 1: You have a song recorded at 120 BPM and need to match it to another track at 90 BPM. The pitch shift would be:

Pitch shift = 12 × log₂(120/90) ≈ 4.32 semitones (Perfect 5th Down)

Example 2: You want to slow down a song from 160 BPM to 120 BPM. The pitch shift would be:

Pitch shift = 12 × log₂(160/120) ≈ 3.32 semitones (Major 7th Down)