Notification Chime

Listen & Download

What Is This Sound?

This is a synthesized notification chime — a short, pleasant ascending sequence of three notes that signals an incoming message, completed action, or other event that deserves the user’s attention. The sound is designed to be attention-grabbing without being alarming, making it ideal for non-urgent notifications.

The three-note ascending pattern is one of the most universally recognized notification sounds in modern software. From smartphone alerts to desktop notifications, this melodic pattern communicates “something happened” in a way that feels positive and inviting rather than stressful or demanding.

How Is a Notification Chime Created with Code?

The notification sound is built from an ascending C major triad — three notes (C5, E5, G5) played in rapid succession, each separated by 100 milliseconds.

The Complete Signal Chain

import * as Tone from "tone";

// Create a sine synth with a clean envelope
const synth = new Tone.Synth({
  oscillator: { type: "sine" },
  envelope: {
    attack: 0.01,
    decay: 0.15,
    sustain: 0.05,
    release: 0.2,
  },
});

synth.toDestination();

const now = Tone.now();

// Play an ascending C major triad
synth.triggerAttackRelease("C5", "0.1", now);        // Root
synth.triggerAttackRelease("E5", "0.1", now + 0.1);  // Major third
synth.triggerAttackRelease("G5", "0.1", now + 0.2);  // Perfect fifth

Why These Three Notes?

The notes C5, E5, and G5 form a C major triad — the most consonant and pleasant chord in Western music theory. Playing them in ascending order creates a sense of upward motion and arrival. Each note is spaced 100 milliseconds apart, which is fast enough to feel like a single cohesive sound event but slow enough for the ear to register the rising pitch.

The sine waveform keeps the tone pure and unobtrusive. Unlike a square or sawtooth wave, a sine wave produces no harmonics, resulting in a clean, bell-like quality that sits politely in any audio environment.

The Science Behind Notification Sounds

Rising Pitch and Attention

Ascending pitch sequences are hardwired into human perception as signals of something approaching or increasing in importance. This is not just cultural — it is rooted in acoustic physics. In nature, rising pitch correlates with increasing energy and proximity. Our brains interpret ascending tones as “pay attention, something is arriving,” which is exactly the message a notification should convey.

Major Intervals and Positive Affect

The intervals between these notes matter enormously. The major third (C to E) and perfect fifth (C to G) are among the most consonant intervals in music. Consonance — the perception of harmony and stability — triggers a mildly positive emotional response. This is why notification sounds based on major chords feel pleasant and welcoming, while sounds based on minor or dissonant intervals feel ominous or alarming.

Research in auditory user experience design confirms that major-key notification sounds are perceived as less intrusive and more trustworthy than atonal or dissonant alternatives. Users are less likely to mute notifications that sound pleasant.

The 100ms Timing Sweet Spot

The 100-millisecond spacing between notes is carefully chosen. Below 50ms, the notes blur together into a single chord. Above 200ms, the sequence feels slow and deliberate, like a melody rather than an alert. At 100ms, the brain perceives a rapid ascending gesture — a single auditory event with internal motion, which maximizes attention capture while minimizing perceived duration.

Octave Range Selection

The fifth octave (C5 at 523Hz through G5 at 784Hz) sits in the frequency range where human hearing is most sensitive. This means the notification will be clearly audible even at low volumes and will cut through background noise effectively. Lower octaves would sound muffled on small speakers; higher octaves would sound shrill.

Common Uses

• Chat & Messaging Apps — New message received, contact came online, or typing indicator
• Email Clients — New mail arrival notification
• Task Management — Task completed, reminder triggered, or deadline approaching
• E-commerce — Order confirmed, payment received, or item shipped
• System Alerts — Download complete, update available, or sync finished
• Accessibility — Audio confirmation of successful actions for screen reader users

Technical Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the notes to match my brand’s sound?

Absolutely. Replace C5, E5, and G5 with any ascending triad. For a brighter sound, try E5-G#5-B5 (E major). For a softer feel, try F4-A4-C5 (F major). Keep the ascending pattern and major intervals for a positive impression.

Why not use a pre-recorded chime instead?

Synthesized chimes are infinitely customizable, have zero file size in your application bundle (since they are generated on the fly), and can be dynamically adjusted for volume, pitch, and speed. A pre-recorded file is fixed — a synthesized one adapts.

How do I prevent the notification from being annoying?

Three design principles help: keep the duration under 500ms, use pure waveforms (sine or triangle), and always provide users with volume control or the ability to switch to vibration-only mode. The sound should inform, not demand.

Is this sound suitable for urgent alerts?

This chime is designed for non-urgent, positive notifications. For urgent alerts (errors, warnings, critical system events), a different sound profile is more appropriate — see our error sound effect for an example of a sound designed to communicate urgency.