Binaural beats frequency chart

Binaural beat frequencies are named after the classic EEG brainwave bands: delta at roughly 0.5 to 4 Hz, theta at 4 to 8 Hz, alpha at 8 to 13 Hz, beta at 13 to 30 Hz, and gamma above 30 Hz. The beat frequency is the difference between the two tones played in each ear, and it requires headphones to perceive.

Those band boundaries are conventions rather than hard physical constants, and you will see them drawn a hertz or two differently depending on the source. The values below reflect the ranges most commonly used.

The frequency chart

Each row pairs a band with the mental state it is conventionally associated with in EEG research and the way listeners typically use it.

How binaural beats work

A binaural beat is not a sound in the recording. Play a 200 Hz tone in the left ear and a 206 Hz tone in the right, and the brain perceives a third rhythmic pulsing at 6 Hz, the difference between them. That perceived 6 Hz pulse sits in the theta band.

Two practical consequences follow from that. First, headphones are mandatory: over a speaker the two tones mix in the air and the effect does not occur. Second, the tone frequencies themselves are largely arbitrary — only the gap between them determines the beat, which is why the same 6 Hz beat can be built from a 100 Hz and 106 Hz pair or a 400 Hz and 406 Hz pair.

Choosing a frequency

Match the band to what you want the session to be, not to a target you are trying to force. In practice, most listeners settle on one of three:

• Delta, 0.5 to 4 Hz. For sessions at the end of the day where drifting off is acceptable or desired.
• Theta, 4 to 8 Hz. The usual choice for meditation and self-hypnosis, where you want to be absorbed but still awake.
• Alpha, 8 to 13 Hz. A middle option for relaxed but alert listening, and a reasonable starting point if you are unsure.

TranceForm layers theta in the 4 to 8 Hz range for deep focus or delta in the 0.5 to 4 Hz range for sleep-oriented sessions underneath its guided scripts.

How to listen

• Use stereo headphones. Speakers, mono playback, and single earbuds all defeat the effect.
• Keep the volume low. The beat is meant to sit under the foreground audio, not compete with it. Loud is not more effective and is worse for your hearing.
• Give it time. Listeners generally allow at least ten to fifteen minutes rather than switching bands every few minutes.
• Check the carrier tones are low enough. Very low carriers can be hard to hear on small earbuds; a carrier in the low hundreds of hertz is a common choice.

What to expect, realistically

Research into whether binaural beats reliably shift brainwave activity or measurably affect mood, focus, or sleep is ongoing and the findings are mixed. Some people find them genuinely helpful as a focus or relaxation aid; others notice nothing beyond pleasant background sound. Both are common outcomes.

The reasonable framing is that a binaural track is a listening aid layered under a practice, not a treatment in its own right. If it helps you stay with a session you would otherwise abandon, that is a real benefit, and it does not require the stronger claims that often accompany these tracks.

Related guides

• What is self-hypnosis? How it works and what to expect
• How to do self-hypnosis at home: a step-by-step routine