I think I understand the difference between tempo ("speed of the track") and pitch ("sound frequencies used").
If we are dealing with only one sound frequency, would tempo and pitch be the same?
[Physics] Tempo versus Pitch
acousticsclassical-mechanics
Best Answer
It's hard to know exactly how to answer without knowing your background, but I think this should do it.
'Tempo' is how many beats per minute. The pitch is the frequency which is how many cycles per second. So they are similar sorts of concepts, both related to how many times something happens over a certain amount of time.
The tempo is the beat. Roughly speaking, if you were to clap along with a tune it would be how fast you were clapping. For instance, the tempo rating for the tune 'Stars and Stripes Forever' is listed at 'quarter note equals 120', which means 120 beats per minute. This also would be 2 beats per second. If a musician played the tune faster than normal, the pitches of the song would usually be the same, but the tempo would be faster.
The frequency gives the note you are listening to. For instance, the note A above middle C has a frequency of 440 Hz, or 440 cycles per second. The A one octave below that is 220 Hz. If a musician changes the note they were playing, (or if they go a little flat or sharp) they are changing the pitch to a different frequency.
If a track is sped up, both the tempo and the frequency will usually increase. But some software (like Auto-Tune) can apply some digital processing to change one without changing the other.