A beat is a variation in amplitude that occurs when two sounds waves with slightly different frequencies are played simultaneously. The rate at which the amplitude varies, known as the beat frequency, is equal to the difference between the two original frequencies. Beats can be used by musicians to tune their instruments by adjusting the frequency until the beating stops. The human ear can detect a frequency difference as small as 3 Hz for tones around 440 Hz. Playing a 440 Hz and 443 Hz tone together would produce beats with a frequency of 3 Hz, which is easily detectable by the human ear.