What does concert pitch refer to?

Concert pitch refers to the actual pitch at which an instrument sounds when played, as opposed to how it might be notated in sheet music. This concept is particularly important in ensembles, such as orchestras, where instruments may be transposing, meaning they are notated in a different key than they sound.

For example, a B-flat clarinet sounds a whole step lower than written, so when a B-flat is played on the clarinet, it corresponds to a concert pitch of A. Understanding concert pitch is crucial for musicians to ensure they are harmonizing correctly with each other in a performance.

The other choices touch on various aspects of musical practice, such as tuning standards and written music, but they do not accurately define concert pitch itself, which centers specifically around the sound produced by an instrument.