In exploring the 432 Hz debate at Ask.Audio, we soon realised this topic wasn’t going to be resolved in one article. Here Assaf Dar Sagol explores the fact and
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Here Assaf Dar Sagol explores the fact and fiction behind tuning to 432 Hz. This article represents the views and research of the author. If you're interested to read the 432 Hz article by Lynda Arnold which sparked a huge debate visit this page: Music Theory: Exploring The 432 Hz Tuning Debate. 432 Hz. The magic number everybody is talking about. It is said to be the natural frequency of the universe, to have cosmic healing powers and to attract masses of audience to our music. Just by tuning our music less than a semitone below our standard A=440Hz we are promised direct access to the universe's hidden treasures. There are many articles presenting so-called “scientific evidence” in favor of 432 Hz. But how much of what are being presented with is fact, and how much of it is fiction? Let’s find out! Fact #1 Fiction: Ancient instruments such as Tibetan bowls, Pythagoras monochord, ancient flutes, have been found to use 432 Hz as their base pitch. Fact: Hertz is a modern term coined in 1930. Before that it was referred as “Cycles Per Second”. The first time “Cycles Per Second” could be accurately measured was in 1834, when two instruments were invented: the (remodeled) Savart Wheel by Félix Savart, and the Tonometer by Johann Scheibler. Further than that—the measurement of Seconds has only begun during the late 16th century. Ancient Tibetans, Pythagoras and anyone before 1834 could not have intentionally tuned their instrument to measure 432 Hz as this frequency scale simply did not exist at the time. As for evidence, I could not find a single solid evidence for ancient flutes or bowls tuned to 432 Hz. If you find some - please let me know! Pythagoras was born 1500 years before the idea of a second was conceived. Resources: http://hps4000.com/pages/special/sound_history.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second Fact #2 Fiction: Pythagoras’ A was 432 Hz. Fact: Pythagoras’ tuning system is ratio based. It is not based on an absolute pitch, but rather on the relations from an arbitrary reference pitch. We already know Pythagoras could not have known what a second is, so he could not know what Hz meant. Indeed 432 is a multiplication of the ratio between C and A, where C is 1 and A is 27/16 which is the same as 432/256—however this applies to any base frequency and has nothing to do with a specific Hz. Pythagoras’s tuning system was based on cycling perfect fifths. However, cycling fifths will never get you to complete a circle—unless one of the fifths is diminished. In other words, the Pythagorean scale has to be 'tuned-down' a little each octave in order to maintain its consistency. This makes the temperament uneven and sound “off” when playing music with complex harmonies, and this is exactly the reason it was abandoned. The monochord Listen for yourself: Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_tuning Fact #3 Fiction: Mozart used 432 Hz for all of his music. Fact: The only evidence for Mozart’s A comes from an ancient tuning fork from 1780 with the tone of A=421.6 Hz. This tuning fork belonged to the Viennese piano builder Johann Andreas Stein, the leading piano maker in Vienna at the time, who was responsible for Mozart's pianos as well as Haydn’s and Beethoven’s. It is likely that they have all used A=421.6Hz. Handel’s personal pitch fork was found 30 years earlier in England and was tuned to A=422.5Hz - pretty close to Mozart! and pretty far from 432 Hz. Resources: https://books.google.com/books?id=hnkWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA333#v=onepage&q&f=true Antique Tuning Fork Fact #4 Fiction: Verdi has used 432 Hz for all his music. Fact: Verdi used several tunings across his life. As an opera composer he was aware of the pitch inflation (pitch standards rapidly rising to achieve a brighter orchestral sound) that was happening in his time, and was concerned it was putting a strain on singers voices as they struggle to hit the high notes on a score. Verdi has requested his Requiem to be tuned to 435 Hz (according to the 1859 French “diapason normal” standard) and in a later letter he has expressed a slight preference for 432 Hz. Verdi is the only known composer to even hint towards 432 Hz, and it was obviously for completely different reasons than cosmic spirituality. Resources: https://books.google.com/books?id=t_iB90JnPrwC&lpg=PA17&dq=Verdi%20tuning&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q=Verdi%20tuning&f=false Fact #5 Fiction: 432 Hz is the way everybody used to tune in the past, but we have now forgotten the ancient wisdom of our ancestors. Fact: Musicologist Alexander John Ellis has searched, measured and documented ancient pipe organs and tuning forks. Here is a graph representing his most important findings—as you can see the only mention of 432 Hz was proposed in Italy in 1880 (by Verdi), and we already know that this was done for practical reasons rather than spiritual ones. The fact is that before standardization, the pitch of A fluctuated heavily between 400 Hz and 460 Hz. Historic tunings graph. Resources: https://books.google.com/books?id=hnkWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA333#v=onepage&q&f=true Fact #6 Fiction: 432 Hz is the frequency of the heart / brain / earth / sun / water Fact: The frequency of the heart fluctuates between approximately 1 Hz to 2.5Hz. It does not have a steady frequency that can be multiplied to achieve 432 Hz. Brainwaves or Neural Oscillations range between approximately 1 Hz and 70 Hz and are not tuned to 8 Hz or other divisions of 432 Hz in any way. The Schumann resonance is a set of electromagnetic oscillations that originate from earth. One of them currently resonates at an average of 7.83Hz and not 8 Hz. which if multiplied by 55 gives us an A=430.65 Hz. Close, but no cigar. Astronomers at Stanford have recorded super sonic oscillations from the sun at around 5.964 GHz. They had to slow them down (change their pitch) by 42,000 times to accidentally hit the frequency of 142 Hz - and not 144 as claimed by some which would again bring us a frequency of A=426Hz. Water molecules can vibrate in a wide band of extremely high frequencies close to the infrared spectrum (90–110 Tera Hz). The band is wide enough to not favor any specific frequency, let alone 432 Hz. Natural frequencies. Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_wave https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schumann_resonances http://solar-center.stanford.edu/singing/ http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/magnetic_electric_effects.html Fact #7 Fiction: Goebbels and the Nazis tried to take over the world with A440Hz. Fact: In fact, it was the British Standards Institute who arranged an international conference in London 1939 where it was internationally agreed for A=440Hz to be the standard. Resources: http://www.wam.hr/sadrzaj/us/Cavanagh_440Hz.pdf Fact #8 Fiction: Cymatics—the unexplored scientific realm, provides images as proof for 432 Hz being the frequency of water/universe. Fact: There have been several videos and images out there presenting beautiful cymatic imagery as proof for the 432 Hz theory. However these images are produced by resonant bodies (water or metal plates) which can be tuned to resonate at different frequencies. Chladni Plate This means that metal plates or bodies of water that are tuned to resonate at 440 Hz (just like a string on a guitar) will produce lovely cymatic shapes at… you guessed it, 440 Hz! The geometric shapes are created due to a well known phenomena called standing waves. Resources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymatics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Chladni https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standing_wave Fact #9 Fiction: Your music will sound better at A=432Hz Fact: Musical aesthetics is a flexible thing. Musicians are not obligated to use 440 Hz as their base frequencies, and many orchestras around the world use different pitches according to the music they are about to play. It is generally agreed that baroque music is to be played at around A 415Hz, classical and early romantic eras at around 425 Hz and later repertoire at 440 Hz and up. Tuning to different pitches has subtle effects on the timbre of acoustic instruments, but makes no difference to electronically generated sounds. Resources: http://www.the-compound.org/writing/classicaltuning.pdf In Conclusion 432 Hz seems to be just another number without any special significance over others. Tuning your music to a specific frequency will not unlock cosmic powers, or make your music sound better or worse. Having said that, there is no rule or law that requires musicians to stick to the standard tuning of A=440Hz. Serious musicians should all use alternate tunings for viable reasons such as the instruments timbre and build, the musical demands and the historic background of the composition. On a personal note, while working in Polyverse Music, I have been receiving requests to enable 432 Hz in our new plug-in “I Wish”. Even though I do not believe in 432 Hz, I do believe that musicians should be able to tune to any base frequency they like, which is why we have decided our next update will include a master tuning setting. After all, i see no reason not to tune to 432 Hz. Have fun, create and experiment, and don’t let standards hold you back! Interested in music theory? Check out the Music Theory video courses in the Ask.Audio Academy (featuring musicians like Jordan Rudess!) music education music theory tuning forks Share: Language English Français Deutsch Español Italiano 中国 日本 한국의 Português ما Pусский العربية हिंदी Assaf Dar Sagol More articles by this author Assaf Dar Sagol is the co-founder and CEO of Polyverse Music. A company that creates unique plug-ins in collaboration with world renowned artists. Their first release is I Wish By Infected Mushroom. Assaf has produced and arranged albums for all major record companies in Israel, working with top notch artists and professionals of the ... Read More Related Videos Creating Moods and Styles 1. Introduction Music Scoring 101 Creating Moods and Styles 2. Orchestral Templates Music Scoring 101 Creating Moods and Styles 3. Creating Moods Music Scoring 101 Related Articles Deconstructing the Beatles with Beatleologist Scott Freiman Sep 7th, 2021 Dorico For iPad is here along with a newly released Dorico course! Jul 30th, 2021 26 Dorico Videos That'll Take Your Music Notation To The Next Level Jul 9th, 2021 Discussion Tyler Thank you for injecting reason into this "argument." Feb 27, 2016 Milton These facts are well known and just plain ignored by many 432hz advocates so still not sure why this is considered a 'debate' any more than a 'Flat Earth' debate. When 433hz sites start correcting errors that will be something. Nonetheless kudos for these succinct and accurate corrections! Feb 28, 2016 Milton 432 not 433. Although 433hz is of course the actual magical frequency. Feb 28, 2016 cadgbd Nature is not static or linear. There is no "magical frequency". Furthermore people's ears and bodies resonate at slightly different frequencies. 432 hz is merely an approximation, a happy medium if you will, which singers find more comfortable than 440 hz. It is impossible to build an instrument that vibrates at that precise frequency due to the margins of error in calculation and construction and variations in temperature and humidity, etc. 432 hz is close enough to the comfortable singing range for most people. Nothing is perfect or exact. There is no one magical frequency. The only way to hit such a frequency is to sing Portamento and you will be bound to hit it or the overtones at some point while sliding up and down the scale. It comes down to what is more comfortable for the singer versus what makes the concert piano sound brighter. Everything is based upon the voice, the primal instrument upon which melody is based, even guitar leads mimic the voice, not the concert piano. Jan 06, 2019 MK Seconds were used in ancient Babylon. Dividing up time like that predates the 1600s by a very long way. Yes we reinvented clockwork in the 1600s, but even the existence of the Antikythera mechanism, a precision-machined device from ancient Greece, leaves very reasonable room to doubt any assertion that nobody had ever used a machine to measure time until 1600. Seems pretty short-sighted to assume the people who designed and built the Great pyramid, for example, and used batteries, and electricity (the Baghdad battery), for whatever purpose, and a far far greater understanding of celestial bodies than we did in the 1600s could not measure time in a unit of measurement that we KNOW they used. Seems a bit far fetched to suggest. Not sure why people are so desperate to prove that ancient people were so much less advanced as human beings than we are. And we know they found specific sound frequencies to be so important to "religious" experience that they incorporated them in stone into temples and other places of spiritual significance. Until you can tell me what the pyramids were for (without using the word tomb, which is a ludicrous idea given their design), I don't think you have the right to insinuate that we are the most advanced civilisation ever to have lived. Nov 07, 2020 airforceguitar Thank you so much for injecting a researched and informed perspective on this. Music is a "magical" endeavor, but please, let's get rid of the ridiculous non-scientific claims in music! Feb 28, 2016 Earful Tibetan singing bowls are specifically designed to the standards of Tibetan medicine, which recognizes winds, orbs, and channels in the body. I think that making a statement that "the Tibetans could never have done this intentionally" misses the basis of Tibetan physiology. It is based upon a conception of energy. I myself have an old Tibetan bowl which is exactly design to stimulate the Heart Chakra. If stimulating that Chakra happens to exactly match the 432hz frequency, then that would be evidence for the case that those who emotionally respond to 432hz. A composer friend of mine thinks it is all rubbish. I find that 432 is warmer and less stressful, i use 440 for the electric and 432 for the folk guitar. It is easier to hit the higher notes. Much better to drop a whole step to about 426. Feb 29, 2016 Bautista But the thing is that you can't never have an exact frequency. If you have a good toner you will be able to set it to 432.0±0.1, but with the technology they had, even if they didn't have a notion of the frequency they search, but only on how it sounds, they could have like 430±10hz top (and I really doubt you could be that good at crafting it) Jul 28, 2018 Craig Earful, I would be grateful if you could reference your comments relating to the Tibetan Singing Bowls. “Tibetan Singing Bowls are specifically designed fo the standards of Tibetan medicine........†where is your source for this? Jan 04, 2019 Bassman The Tibetan Bowl brings me to pose the question of the Sitar. This instrument recognizes most notes, where there is a difference between G# and Ab, etc. They have spacial assignments. Western Music combines these half tones. Where does this leave us in this discussion? Oct 12, 2021 Todd On board with you here about these theories supporting 432. However, I think there is a better and more interesting avenue to explore. There is supporting evidence of 432 and its related numbers concerning the ratios of the earth and ancient cultures that build structures to reflect this. Not surprisingly...the pyramids of Egypt. If there is any validity to this frequency being "special" it probably comes from this conversation. Graham Hancock is one person among many who has compiled some of this information and explored it. Interestingly, I don't believe he has spoken about the frequency. Only the ancient geometry associated with the number 432. Feb 29, 2016 Mihai Sorohan "We can fix history at will and pick measures by matching theories. We know that the Egyptians used as a basis for measuring the "Small Cubit", equal to about 45 cm (24 fingers); inherited from the "Nippur Cubit", which found use in Sumer about 6,000 years ago. The conventional value of this 24 fingers cubit is approximately 45 centimeters. The Egyptians of the Old Kingdom used the 28 fingers from the Sumerian division to determine their Royal Master Cubit (or Sacred Cubit) of 52.5 cm. Later, during the 26th dynasty, it was extended to 52.9 cm. The base of the pyramid is 440 Royal Master Cubits, approximately 230.5 meters. There is no 432 anymore, but 440 Cubits! But 440 or 432 should be no concern because Cubits are not Hertz, as discussed in the previous paragraph" http://www.medson.net/A432hz-myth.html Mar 02, 2016 Jon Mihai Sorohan, was he point you are missing is that of you take the circumference of the base of the great pyramid at Giza, regardless of the unit of measure, and multiply it by 43,200 you get the equatorial circumference of the earth in said measurement.. And if you take the height of that pyramid and multiply it by that same 43,200 you get the radius of the earth on said measurement. It’s a proportional representation of the earth at a scale of 1 to 43,200... THAT is what makes the # 432 is relevant Feb 29, 2020 Rich G Jon, Have you ever done the math? The scale of those dimensions you mentioned is not 1:43,200. They're close, in the 43,300+ to 43,400 or so range, but how much margin of error is acceptable to call it 43,200? But even if we are to assume they were aiming for a 1:43,200 scale, so what? Why does that make 432 special? It just means they chose that number - but why and where is there any evidence of it being a special, or powerful or mystical number? (and in particular why would it make 432Hz special - which no one was measuring sound in "cycles per second" at that time. We must also remember there is NOT 432 of anything happening in a 432Hz sound wave, in the reality of that wave.) And no, 60 is not "the heartbeat". 60 beats per minute is an approximate average of the low end of the range for a human at rest.... and it… truncated (103,564 more characters in archive)