432 Hertz tuning.

[WhiteTigerMusicShop]

Who has experimented with A4 = 432 Hz tuning?
It was the standard for some classical composers, but we're all used to hearing
modern 440 Hz tuning. And, it's an international standard.

There is a wealth of information on the Internet about it, worth exploring.
I've tried it on violin and guitar and mandolin. It sounds especially good on mandolin.
It's definitely fun to try and sounds more "natural" in some ways.

 

[huw]

There are a wealth of previous threads here explaining patiently why this was never actually a standard for tuning, & debunking some of the more ridiculous claims about it.

If you like it, great, that’s all that really matters - enjoy yourself.

But there is so much BS out there on this subject, so don’t get taken in.

 

[True Vintage]

why this was never actually a standard for tuning, & debunking some of the more ridiculous claims about it.

But there is so much BS out there on this subject, so don’t get taken in.

432Hz is widely believed to resonate in sync with the planet's resonance of around 8 cycles per second, the Schumann Resonances.

Schumann resonances - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Vivaldi wrote the Quatro Staggioni in A = 432Hz in 1720.

Handel composed in A= 432Hz

"Allegro in G minor by George Frideric Handel is the third of six movements in the Suite No. 7 in G minor, HWV 432. This suite was composed before 1720, and was first published in London in 1720."

Wagner's Flight of the Valkiries exemplifies A = 440 and the stridency that apparently helps people go out and fight wars.

It's easy to call BS on something, no proof needed.

 

[davesultra]

Remember: “You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna-fish”.

 

[John Quinn]

Who has experimented with A4 = 432 Hz tuning?
It was the standard for some classical composers, but we're all used to hearing
modern 440 Hz tuning. And, it's an international standard.

There is a wealth of information on the Internet about it, worth exploring.
I've tried it on violin and guitar and mandolin. It sounds especially good on mandolin.
It's definitely fun to try and sounds more "natural" in some ways.

Some people like the sound of certain instruments tuned to 432 Hz - but like @huw said it was never a standard - people experimented with various tunings - and like people today there were some people who liked it, disliked it, or felt indifferent - I fall into the indifferent category -it's like anyone who sped up or slowed down tape to record - you might like - if you like it play with it - the only problems you might run into is that while you like the mandolin you might not like it on guitar or the sax - and you can't mix the different tunings without manipulating parts.

 

[WhiteTigerMusicShop]

There are a wealth of previous threads here explaining patiently why this was never actually a standard for tuning, & debunking some of the more ridiculous claims about it.

If you like it, great, that’s all that really matters - enjoy yourself.

But there is so much BS out there on this subject, so don’t get taken in.

Interesting perspective, and wrong. Classical composers did use it as a standard. Eventually orchestras tried tuning higher and higher because it sounded exciting, like having more and more powerful amps and exotic guitar pedals today.

All kinds of tunings were tried and eventually we settled on 440 Hz. Is either better than the other? It depends on your ear.

Whether you think 432 Hz some magical mystical thing, as some do, or not is another question.
I think all music is magic.

The fun part about The Gear Page is that whatever threads one posts, there is always controversy and someone saying "we covered this before"!

 

[huw]

Interesting perspective, and wrong. Classical composers did use it as a standard. Eventually orchestras tried tuning higher and higher because it sounded exciting, like having more and more powerful amps and exotic guitar pedals today.

All kinds of tunings were tried and eventually we settled on 440 Hz. Is either better than the other? It depends on your ear.

Whether you think 432 Hz some magical mystical thing, as some do, or not is another question.
I think all music is magic.

The fun part about The Gear Page is that whatever threads one posts, there is always controversy and someone saying "we covered this before"!

Sorry, but I’m not wrong.

Prior to the adoption of A440 (as agreed at the conference you referred to above) there was no universal standard. There was much variety between countries, regions, even cities, all with their own preferred tuning reference.

Add to that, there would usually be a further variation: “domestic pitch”, ie what people tuned to at home, which varied wildly but was pretty much always lower than whatever the local “concert pitch” was.

432 was used by a few, but only a few. It was never a standard, in the way we use the word today ie accepted around the world.



Edit: for example, scroll down to the section listing how many different tuning references have been used over the years. The one constant? Variety!

https://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory27.htm#chartofpitch

 

[J.T.]

 

[Wound_Up]

Bad frequencies!

 

[True Vintage]

@ 2:10 likens it to "Flat earthers" and mentions "internet hive mind" so this is very much a closed case.

Carry on.

 

[Kentano2000]

I’ve always preferred my guitars tuned down a 1/2 step, especially the Strats, which seem to really benefit from the 432 frequency. I’ve actually almost sold a few until I tried tuning them down and now they are going nowhere! Not everything is easily objectively explained, and some folks have more intuitive sensitivity in certain domains than others. It ain’t one size fits all. YMMV and all that jazz….

 

[MrTAteMyBalls]

It sounds no different. Doesn't do anything magical. Do it if you like it, but it literally doesn't matter.

 

[IncompleteEntry]

"A wealth of previous threads" is not information, it's usually a hint of censure.

I have an actual A = 432Hz tuning fork made by a nice gent in Leesburg VA.

For years I noticed that my guitars seem to more or less tune themselves a little flat, not Eb flat, just just a few cents. If I restring and tune a guitar without any aid, it's more likely to be dead on at A = 432Hz than A = 440Hz.

A = 432Hz is one of the healing Solfeggio frequencies that go back to Gregorian chants.

"A recent double-blind study from Italy showed that music tuned to 432 Hz slows down the heart rate when compared to 440 Hz. This frequency fills the mind with feelings of peace and well-being, making it the perfect accompaniment for yoga, gentle exercise, meditation, or sleep."

The Science Behind Solfeggio Frequencies | BetterSleep

Find out why 432Hz is a magical number by learning about Solfeggio Frequencies and their effect on your body.

www.bettersleep.com

Solfeggio Frequencies: A Complete Guide to the Ancient Scale

What are the Solfeggio Frequencies? This guide reveals the historical facts behind the ancient scale said to have healing music properties.

www.binauralbeatsfreak.com

If we spent as much time debunking well known myths like invisible sky wizards rather than science, the world would be a much better and more educated place to live in, a better world.

Even if 432Hz has special properties, that's just 432Hz. Tuning to A=432 and then playing in G# major probably won't benefit in any way from those properties.

 

[Twisted_Kites]

The La’s, one of my favorite bands from England, would to tune to 432hz from time to time.
The leader of the band, Lee Mavers, swore that this tuning sounded warmer to his ear.
A few years ago his manager was kind enough to share this knowledge with the owner of his fan forum s few years ago.


Hi Tony,

Lee asked me to let you all know the tuning references...

E = 81hz
A = 108hz
D = 144hz
G = 192hz (in the sequence should be 189 but needs to be upped 3hz to fall into tune.)
B = 243hz
E = 324hz

You change the A4 calibration in the settings from 440hz to 432hz and away you go.

that said they would tune A440 as well.
their big hit, “There She Goes” is A440 on their album.
I think it would depend on the song, their mood, etc…

 

[aquanaut]

Since there weren't any digital tuners in the 1700s or 1800s, how does anyone know what frequencies they tuned to?
There aren't any recorded examples of these early works to check out.
Tuning forks were used by piano tuners later on but who knows what note these tuning forks were actually producing? Some people would use a woodwind instrument to get a primary note. Then use their ears (you know, those things on the sides of your head) to tune the rest of the keys. That way the piano was tuned to itself. But there is inconsistency in woodwinds too. I played a clarinet in school band and would adjust the mouthpiece in or out to match the other instruments.
In the 1960s we either used tuning forks or a harmonica to get a primary note, then tune the rest of the guitar to that by using our ears. Those tuning forks were much more precise than those in past centuries and usually provided a true note.

I view the subject of this thread as academic speculation.

 

[andrekp]

Tuning had many different standards over the centuries. At one point in Britain, if you played a brass or woodwind instrument you had to have different versions if you played in a band and/or an orchestra because they tuned to significantly different A’s.

Tuning 440hz is just the current standard, and history suggests you could equally call it a fad. So why would there be anything “special” about 432hz? Why does this nonsense keep coming up?

 

[Indiana Jones]

Weren’t the instruments used on Pearl Jam’s Vitology album tuned to 432? Do we notice a difference?

 

[CarpathianWhips]

I tried 432 just out of curiosity. I thought it made the sound a bit darker and more listless with a slightly more melancholic kind of feel.

To me 440 sounds more edgy in a good way and more energetic and alive.
I also think that my guitars sound tonally better in 440, with more chime and more pronounced harmonics.

 

[KRosser]

Who has experimented with A4 = 432 Hz tuning?
It was the standard for some classical composers, but we're all used to hearing
modern 440 Hz tuning. And, it's an international standard.

Many orchestras today tune to 442, or higher.

Also, the question of what tuning composers "composed in" seems weird, since composers rarely perform their own works.

 

[WhiteTigerMusicShop]

Sorry, but I’m not wrong.

Prior to the adoption of A440 (as agreed at the conference you referred to above) there was no universal standard. There was much variety between countries, regions, even cities, all with their own preferred tuning reference.

Add to that, there would usually be a further variation: “domestic pitch”, ie what people tuned to at home, which varied wildly but was pretty much always lower than whatever the local “concert pitch” was.

432 was used by a few, but only a few. It was never a standard, in the way we use the word today ie accepted around the world.



Edit: for example, scroll down to the section listing how many different tuning references have been used over the years. The one constant? Variety!

https://www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory27.htm#chartofpitch

What I meant was it was historically a "standard" for some composers, not that it was a universal standard. Let's not get picky about it. There certainly has to be some agreed upon tuning standard for musicians to play together. I could have said it a different way. But, it was common for at least a few classical composers, as was just commented by True Vintage.

So, it took a committee to decide that it should be 440 Hz. Kind of like adopting the metric system for other measurements. Yes, many tunings can be used. That's what's great. Ever tried DADGAD on a guitar? It has a different quality, at least to my ear.

To my ear, 432 Hz tuning does sound "natural" and I did use that word in quotes. I could use other adjectives like "lush", or "mellow". That's how it sounds to me. Everything that can happen in nature is "natural". But, it's like describing wine using different adjectives. "This is a mischievous wine. If this wine were a child, I would send it to bed without any supper."

Why do we use the words "sharp" or "flat"? Some music sounds "happy", some sounds "dark" or "bright"? Why those particular words, and others? Because, most would say it sounds that way, even though the words dark and bright are related to sight, not hearing.

Why is it some music, say a piece in D minor is universally described as sad or melancholy? It just is. We play and listen to music because it produces an emotional response. If it doesn't who cares anyway.