# Low note on No Scrubs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 30, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073 "2023-01-30T21:18:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/21 "2023-01-31T17:22:54Z")
I’m trying to get my cousin to raise the pitch of the whole song an octave, so we’ll all have a reference point. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/22 "2023-01-31T18:11:42Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I’m trying to get my cousin to raise the pitch of the whole song an octave Good idea. I did this and the clip starts just before the first instance and ends after the second instance of the low note: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NBprnp6ekqc/maxresdefault.jpg "TLC Clip Pitch Shift") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBprnp6ekqc) ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/23 "2023-01-31T18:34:10Z")
And here is a 2 octave pitch shift - same segment. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wZerQ8JX1Vw/hqdefault.jpg "TLC Clip Pitch Shift 2 Octaves") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZerQ8JX1Vw) Damn thing sounds like a B♮ (passing to B♭) now. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/24 "2023-01-31T18:37:56Z")
I don’t remember how I checked it before, but I thought I had somehow found it to be at 28 Hz, an octave below the regular low note. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/25 "2023-01-31T21:58:42Z")
With _No Scrubs_, it’s more of a shudder than a note. Main system has two 15” Martin Logan Dynamo subs. Desktop Mac with an external amp and NHT 1.5 speakers - just a hint of something but equally important, no bad sounds even at max volume. The _Throne Room_ track of _Time Warp_, well then! That makes my chest quiver and my eyes get blurry and that’s why I have two stonking 15” subs. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/26 "2023-01-31T22:18:08Z")
Yes, but I feel like I cheated a little because I played it on the Amazon music app instead of YouTube. I’m using a Schiit Hel DAC/Amp into Hifiman Edition XS headphones. I heard it pretty clearly at 1:41, felt it a couple of times after that. I could not hear it at all on my speakers, but I do not have my sub hooked up. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/27 "2023-01-31T22:20:39Z")
@MindsEye_Watering, thanks for posting those! Youtube is blocked for me right now, but I’ll check it out later. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/28 "2023-01-31T23:24:59Z")
> [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > The tune is in A flat. Wikipedia tells me that the tune is in G♯ minor. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/29 "2023-01-31T23:50:24Z")
The note played here (on the organ) from 4:32 to 4:36 will damage your woofers. Cued up to 4:30: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/TEmbwAwH08c/hqdefault.jpg "The Residents - Edweena") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEmbwAwH08c) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/30 "2023-02-01T00:27:27Z")
Dude, that’s like two octaves higher than the note we’re tracking down. > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > Damn thing sounds like a B♮ (passing to B♭) now. Thanks! This version makes it really clear! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/31 "2023-02-01T01:02:26Z")
Nah, that’s just a warmup for Philip Glass’ Koyaanisqatsi. There’s so many different low organ notes in the opening that it’s good for finding stuff in the house that wants to vibrate and buzz. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/32 "2023-02-01T02:42:10Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > The _Throne Room_ track of _Time Warp_, well then! That makes my chest quiver and my eyes get blurry and that’s why I have two stonking 15” subs. 🤣 Can I interest you in a binaural recording of a Falcon Heavy launch, as heard from the vehicle assembly building? Video here is cued to 3:11, 15 seconds before liftoff; add in 15 seconds of delay due to the 3-mile distance from the launch pad, and you should hear the first sounds about 25 seconds after you push play. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ImoQqNyRL8Y/maxresdefault.jpg "The Incredible Sounds of the Falcon Heavy Launch (BINAURAL AUDIO IMMERSION) - Smarter Every Day 189") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoQqNyRL8Y&t=191) ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/33 "2023-02-01T12:20:20Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > The note played here (on the organ) from 4:32 to 4:36 will damage your woofers. > > Cued up to 4:30: The lowest note I hear there is a D2 (73.42 Hz). That’s not terribly low; a decent pair of bookshelf speakers should be able to handle that without exploding. [https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html](https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/34 "2023-02-01T19:35:45Z")
,l[quote=“MindsEye\_Watering, post:28, topic:979073, full:true”] > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > The tune is in A flat. ⁢ Wikipedia tells me that the tune is in G♯ minor. ⁢ [/quote] Enharmonically equivalent. Most people use G# minor, but I can see using using Ab minor instead to avoid the double sharps or making it easier to play on wind instruments. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/35 "2023-02-01T19:50:28Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > > [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > > > The note played here (on the organ) from 4:32 to 4:36 will damage your woofers. > > > > Cued up to 4:30: > > The lowest note I hear there is a D2 (73.42 Hz). That’s not terribly low; a decent pair of bookshelf speakers should be able to handle that without exploding. > > [Frequencies of Musical Notes, A4 = 440 Hz](https://pages.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html) Now a real pipe organ… this clip claims that this organ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9rmsORjN0ws/hqdefault.jpg "Dangerous Organ II: The only pipe organ with 128' stop") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rmsORjN0ws) has a 128’ stop. As a rough estimate, such an open pipe would have a fundamental frequency around 4 Hz, which would be pretty impressive blasting, but I do not think your bookshelf speakers are going to do it; you would need something by Doc Brown. By comparison, a contrabass tuba only goes down to about A0 or Ab0 (~26 Hz). > [@BigT](#): > > > [@MindsEye\_Watering](#): > > > > The tune is in A flat. ⁢ > > Wikipedia tells me that the tune is in G♯ minor. ⁢ > > Enharmonically equivalent. Which is it? Can it be deduced from the actual tuning used in the actual clip? If you look at a basic MIDI chart then it lists Bb0 = A#0 and B0 = Cb0, of course. Harps sound better in flat keys (C-flat major versus B major, for instance), but a quick search reveals plenty of piano compositions in A-flat minor (could be to avoid double-sharps as suggested, or maybe there is a more theoretical reason). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/36 "2023-02-01T20:01:52Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Which is it? Can it be deduced from the actual tuning used in the actual clip? If you look at a basic MIDI chart then it lists Bb0 = A#0 and B0 = Cb0, of course. > > Harps sound better in flat keys (C-flat major versus B major, for instance), but a quick search reveals plenty of piano compositions in A-flat minor (could be to avoid double-sharps as suggested, or maybe there is a more theoretical reason). ⁢ Since it uses equal temperament, there’s no 100% perfect way to know without seeing the sheet music. But, given the instrumentation and style, I would suspect they’d have written it in G# minor, using B and E instead of Cb and Fb. Those notes tend to exist only in older styles and with transposing instruments. Still, I would never count anyone as wrong if they said the song “is in Ab.” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073/37 "2023-02-01T20:24:54Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > this clip claims that this organhas a 128’ stop I do tend to call bullshit, however, as this, more authoritative-looking page, including sound samples, > **[Organ Oddities and World Records](https://www.die-orgelseite.de/kurioses_e.htm)** > > organs, oddities, records, 32' stops, 64' stops, 32', 64', largest organ, oldest organ, loudest organ, loudest stop, hovercraft organ, open air organ, world records claims that the world record is a 64’ stop (8 Hz) and that there exist only two such organs. > [@BigT](#): > > it uses equal temperament One would expect so; it’s hard to tell exactly (though supposedly some of you have perfect perfect pitch, etc, so…?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-note-on-no-scrubs/979073.md?page=1)