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Frequency matching

Finding Your Tinnitus Frequency (and MML) Without Making It Worse

The fastest way to waste a month on tinnitus is to use the wrong sound at the wrong level. This guide shows how to match your pitch safely, and what “Minimum Masking Level” (MML) actually tells you.

MyPattern•10 min read•Jan 18, 2026
Illustration of an ear with sound waves

If your tinnitus is tonal (ringing, whistling, a steady “eee”), frequency matching can be the first big “aha.” It turns tinnitus from a vague problem into something measurable.

But there’s a right way to do it—and a wrong way. The wrong way is blasting sound, chasing the tone in silence for an hour, and then wondering why your head feels wired.

Two terms you’ll see everywhere

Pitch match is the frequency (in Hz) that most closely matches your tinnitus.

Minimum Masking Level (MML) is the lowest level of an external sound that makes your tinnitus inaudible while the masker is playing. Clinicians often measure it in decibels above your hearing threshold for the masker.

Step 1: Decide if you’re actually “tonal” enough to match

Frequency matching works best when your tinnitus has a stable pitch. If your tinnitus is more like “wind,” “roaring,” or changes constantly, you may still benefit from sound therapy—but exact pitch matching may be less stable.

Step 2: Match safely (the “small moves” method)

  1. Start low and comfortable. Keep volume at a level that feels calm—not “dominant.”
  2. Work in short bursts. Do 30–60 seconds, take a break, repeat. Fatigue makes matching unreliable.
  3. Bracket the sound. Go a little above and below until you’re confident you’re in the right neighborhood.
  4. Confirm on another day. If you can’t reproduce it tomorrow, treat today’s match as “draft.”

A mistake that looks “productive”

Trying to match in complete silence for a long time trains vigilance. Your auditory system becomes a detector, not a filter. If you start feeling anxious, tighten your jaw, or “lean forward” mentally, stop and reset.

What MML tells you (and what it doesn’t)

People hear “Minimum Masking Level” and assume it’s a score of how “bad” their tinnitus is. It’s not that simple. MML is useful because it describes how much external sound it takes to fully cover the tinnitus in that moment.

But distress is a separate dimension. Someone can have a relatively low MML and still feel miserable, especially if sleep is poor or anxiety is high.

MML is helpful for

  • Choosing a starting point for masking-level sound (without overdoing it).
  • Tracking change over time (weekly trends, not hour-to-hour).
  • Identifying “easy-to-mask” vs “hard-to-mask” patterns.

MML is not

  • A measure of your worth, your toughness, or your prognosis.
  • A reason to chase higher volume to “win.”
  • A substitute for evaluating red flags with a clinician.

A safety checklist (seriously)

  • Keep levels comfortable; louder is not “more therapeutic.”
  • If you have sound sensitivity, start lower and take breaks.
  • If tinnitus is sudden, one-sided, pulsatile, or paired with sudden hearing change/dizziness: get evaluated urgently.

Make your sound plan specific

Once you’ve matched your frequency, you can stop cycling through “tinnitus videos” and start using sound intentionally.

Check My Frequency

Educational content only. Use safe listening habits.

Sources & further reading

If you haven’t read it yet: TRT & Habituation: What “Retraining Your Brain” Actually Means