Frequencies are all around us- we hear them, we feel them, even if we are not consciously aware of it. Any sound, be it music, birdsong, voices, machinery, is formed out of frequencies coupled with their harmonics, allowing us to distinguish one sound from another. Musicians and composers work with frequencies everyday, perhaps seeing them more as tools than anything else, and yet in the world of spirituality, they take on a deeper significance, usually of healing and awakening. Being someone with their feet firmly planted in both camps, they have become more and more interesting to me. I find it fascinating that the sounds we hear and the vibrations we feel, either by choice or not, could be affecting us in ways that we are completely unaware of. Especially as I am someone who creates music and sound for a living, I want to know whether there are better ways I could be handling frequencies, in order to give the audience a more serene experience.

In this blog post, I want to explore the very well-known 440hz vs 432hz debate that is often discussed in both musical and spiritual circles. For those that may not be aware, this debate pertains to the frequency (the note A) that instruments tune to, particularly when playing together. An instrument is identified as playing ‘in tune’ when they have tuned their ‘note of A’ to one of these specific frequencies. Now, for the majority of our most recent history, the frequency that we have tuned to is 440hz. However, before this, a very long time ago, musicians were tuning to 432hz, due to the belief that it was in harmony with the universe. Some believe that in tuning to 440hz that we are shifted out of harmony with the Earth, which can cause enhance feelings of anxiety and unease, and therefore to avoid this we should revert to 432hz instead. So, which is better, and does it really make a difference?

440hz

440hz is the audio frequency equivalent to the musical pitch of A(4), six notes above middle C on a piano. Also known as Stuttgart Pitch, it was first proposed by Johann Heinrich Scheibler in 1834 after having invented a pitch measuring device called the "tonometer". This proposal was approved by the Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians at a meeting in Stuttgart the same year. Nevertheless, for a long time, there was no definitive global tuning standard for music. Different countries tuned to ever so slightly different pitches, for example, in France, they tuned to 435hz, made official by the French government in 1859, whilst in Britain it was common to tune to 439hz. It wasn’t until 1936 that the American Standards Association recommended that 440hz should be the standard tuning for A (4) across the globe. This wasn’t taken up by the International Organisation for Standardisation until 1955, and was only truly formalised as ISO 16 in 1975. Now the universal tuning standard, this is the note, or frequency, that musicians will tune their instruments to, in order to play together, with the majority of music now being tuned to this pitch.

As you can see, it was quite a long journey to reach this standardisation. On one hand it makes sense to have a standard tuning that is recognised across the globe, especially as this was happening during the era of an abundance of new technology. It was the broadcasting industry that were most keen for a standard to be created, simply because it would make for a much more seamless listening experience in regards to radio broadcasts. With different musical works being played back to back, it made sense that they would sound better together if they were all tuned to the same frequency, and would likely make broadcasting easier.

And yet, why choose 440hz? Again, this seems to come down to the technology of the day as well. For example, The B.B.C. set their tuning note to 440hz, a frequency that, for the sake of accuracy, they derived electronically by using an oscillator. As Britain’s usual 439hz was a prime number, it was too difficult to replicate electronically using this oscillator, and so they settled on 440hz.

Now, I am aware that there are many other beliefs and opinions surrounding the origins of the 440hz tuning, including the supposed rumour that it was the Nazi’s who implemented this standard in order to brainwash and control the masses. In my research, I haven’t found any real evidence for this. The transition towards the standardised tuning of 440hz was a slow one and, as you can see above, was primarily inspired by the technological advances of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Nevertheless, I am open to any other insights, so I will leave the comments open below in case anyone has anything topical they would like to share.

This may be one of those instances where two things can be true at one time. Firstly, it can be true that making 440hz the tuning standard was an innocent choice primarily motivated by the shifting avenues of musical performances. However, that does not mean that we can freely disregard the notion that continually listening to music tuned to 440hz may affect us differently, even negatively? That part is still up for debate, so let’s move on…

432hz

432hz, also known as Scientific Pitch, is an alternative tuning for the musical note A(4). It is Greek philosopher and mathematician, Pythagoras, who is credited with originating this specific tuning using his famous monochord- an ancient scientific and musical instrument consisting of ‘metal strings stretched over a hollow resonating body.’ As the monochord is an instrument built according to harmonic ratios, Pythagoras devised that the string lengths could be divided into sections using ratios 2:1 to create a perfect octave and 3:2 to create a perfect fifth. It was through this discovery that Pythagoras theorised that the entire universe could be better understood through the combined interpretation of musical harmonies and simple mathematical ratios. For many centuries, right up until the early modern period, musical harmony was considered to be an important contribution to scientific understanding and one of the primary languages of the universe, often working in concurrence with astronomy. For example, astronomers of the 16th and 17th century, such as Johannes Kepler, were of the belief that the motions of the planets produced a ‘cosmic harmony’ of sorts.

Harmonic Ratios Chart- 432hz

This ‘432hz Harmonic Ratios Chart’ illustrates how this frequency is derived from Pythagoras’ 3:2 ratio. The columns from left to right are multiplied by three, and the rows going down are multiplied by two. In the central purple box you will find the infamous 432hz, and in the other lilac purple boxes on the diagonal you will find the frequencies of the other notes in the Western scale ordered in the Cycle of Fifths. The number 108, seen a couple of rows above 432hz, is significant in Vedic Cosmology, and is seen as “the basis of creation, [representing] the universe and all our existence.” In fear of making this blog post too long, many examples of the extensive symbolism of the number 108 are discussed in detail in this blog post by HAF, if you are interested in exploring it further. I only mention it to illustrate how this numeric selection, discovered using Pythagoras’ theory, includes this spiritually significant number.

Tempered Tuning

Now it is important to note that the other ‘purple frequencies’ seen in the table may be slightly different to the frequencies that would actually be played when instruments are tuned to the note of 432hz. This is because most Western instruments will be tuned in the ‘equal temperament system’, aka Tempered Tuning, meaning that the intervals within the chosen tuning ratios (be it Pythagoras’ or pure intonation), will be approximated, making them slightly wider or narrower. The reason for tempered tuning was because although many tuning systems (again, be it Pythagoras’, Ptolemaic, etc.) may work well melodically, they often struggle when it comes to chords or specific intervals, making composing music with them increasingly difficult. Therefore, from a musical standpoint, tempered tuning called for the slight flattening or sharpening of the notes in the scale, create a palette of notes that were far easier on the ear when used harmonically and melodically.

This may be where the more spiritual significance of frequencies and the musical usefulness of frequencies can be seen to collide. Perhaps, spiritually speaking the frequencies on this table would be better listened to in their ‘whole’ form, rather than slightly flattened or sharpened? And yet when played together musically, they likely do not unite together to create the same beautiful harmonies and melodies that we are so used to. Many disregard Pythagoras’ tuning and his theories that it relates to universal harmonies often because of the existence of tempered tuning. Tempered tuning proves our preference for slight deviations from ‘perfect’, and so wouldn’t that go against the notion of having ‘perfect’ universal harmonies? Or are we missing something?

Is it even a question of ‘perfection’ at all? Perhaps, this is an unnecessary fixation and that through tuning to the frequency of 432hz, it is enough to harmonically align us with the appropriate and spiritually significant sound world, with or without tempered tuning. I am sure it could be debated either way.

It is important to remember that tempered tuning is used no matter what frequency the note of A is tuned to, be it 432hz or 440hz. In the Western classical tradition, 12 tone equal temperament (12 TET) is the tuning system that has been most commonly used since the 18th century, and is the one we have become most accustomed to hearing, which brings me onto my last point…

Our Changing Perception

I am not entirely sure that our so-called ‘preference’ for slightly altered tunings completely wipes away all validity of the ancient concept of universal harmonies and their spiritual significance. The musical systems and tunings across the world have been honed and refined over centuries to be what they are today. They have constantly evolved, forming all the music that we have listened to and can listen to currently. Of course, based on our individual cultures and upbringing, we may have been opened to different tuning systems outside of what are deemed to be the most popular, but for the most part many of us only really are introduced to a limited harmonic spectrum or experience. And, if we were to listen to music tuned to a system different to what we are used to, perhaps we would find it jarring, whether it is tempered or not.

What I am trying to say is, are we not products of what we are familiar with? We grow up with certain foods, languages, and customs that create our version of ‘normal’, and when we step outside of that by visiting another part of the world or entering a new community, we can be surprised or even alarmed by some of the differences that are another person’s ‘normal’. Can the same not be said for musical tunings? Whether or not it is the right tuning or the wrong tuning, what we grow up listening to surely must influence how we hear music and what we deem to be ‘nice sounding’.

All we have to do is look to history to realise how drastically music tastes have change, even only in the last one hundred years. Nowadays, we are much more acquainted with dissonant harmonies and unusual musical choices, across all genres of music, than our ancestors were. Composers of old were restricted to far more harmonic rules, often only using specific intervals, chords, and devices in certain ways to convey specific things. In the early part of the twentieth century, when music, certainly Classical music, went through a particularly major shift, boundary pushing composers were, in some places, deemed dangerous. For example, Stalin wanted the composers under his reign to write music that was joyful and optimistic, to represent the strength of Russia. Shostakovich, instead, would compose music that conveyed the deep feelings of fear and frustration many of the Russian people experienced under Stalin. After a performance of his avant-garde opera Lady Macbeth, Shostakovich was denounced as “an enemy of the people” and very nearly put to death.

Of course, freedom in the arts is very much something I support, and placing restrictions on creativity seems like such an archaic concept, especially from where we stand now. Nevertheless, we cannot forget that although we might be used to something- such as music tuned to 440hz- it doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good or better option. It could very much be substandard, but how on Earth are we to notice if it is all we have ever known, you know?

To Conclude:

Truly, it is hard to say with complete confidence whether music tuned to 432hz is fundamentally better than music tuned to 440hz, without extensive research. Fortunately, there has been some exploration in this area, including one study that sought to investigate the health effects of music tuned to 440hz vs. music tuned to 432hz. I have shared their discoveries below and a link to the source at the end of this article.

For me, this is a noteworthy outcome in favour of 432hz. Although the variances in the test subjects heart rates, blood pressure, and respiratory rates are ‘slight’, we have to remember music and frequencies are things that are experienced so regularly in life that perhaps being exposed to the frequency or tuning for a longer period of time would enhance the benefits. And if that is the case, could we not say that the ‘small’ shift away from 432hz and towards 440hz, a frequency that we are now heavily exposed to daily, may not be having the reverse effect. I know this is merely conjecture, but it is something to think about.

Already, for many, this whole discussion may seem like ‘splitting hairs’ and wholly unnecessary considering the variation between 440hz and 432hz seems relatively modest. However, often it is the smallest shifts that can make the biggest difference, especially when experienced over time. It is how the supposed ‘symptoms’ of a specific change can go seemingly unnoticed. To experience something in small doses over a long time span causes us to become accustomed to the ‘new normal’, so much so, that we don’t notice any fluctuations that it may have caused, and if we do, it is unlikely we will relate it back to the original source. Even so, it is important to remember that in this case, the gap between the use of the 432hz tuning en masse and the shift to 440hz in the last century stretches across such a mammoth portion of human history that to have ever ‘noticed the change’ would have been impossible. Only now, through further investigation and taking time to listen to music tuned to these different frequencies can we build a new understanding over why the frequency our music is tuned to matters at all.

Lastly, when it comes to how we feel when we listen to certain frequencies and tunings, we dive into a rather abstract concept that will differ depending on the experiences of the individual. I have personally used 432hz meditation tracks and experienced a marked difference in how I feel after listening to them (soothed, relaxed, at peace). Now, could this be more the act of meditation than the track itself? Maybe? However, I have listened to many meditation music tracks and often find the ones tuned to specific spiritually significant frequencies, such as 432hz, provide the deepest energetic shifts and aid in reaching internal alignment. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that my experience may not be the same as everyone else’s.

Very much like the beloved fairytale The Princess & The Pea, some people are much more sensitive to supposedly tiny disturbances or transformations, whereas others may not be in the least bit bothered nor ultimately care. Not only that, but different people may be sensitive to different things, whether that be sound, imagery, taste, smell, touch, or even emotional and energetic shifts. What is noticeable to one person may be unnoticeable to the other, but then, who is to say whose experience is more valid? Perhaps we are all created to feel things differently so we can teach others about our unique encounters and revelations, for surely it would drive us mad if we were all to experience every single facet of the world so intensely. But I suppose that may be a conversation better saved for another day…

Although this conclusion may still remain uncertain, I hope that throughout this blog post I have been able to give you some insight into the origins of the 440hz tuning and the 432hz tuning in regards to how they have been implemented throughout parts of our history, as well as some indications as to why the debate is not easily resolved, both due to the intangible nature of sound and our current experience of it through the music that we listen to. Be that as it may, I will finish this investigation by encouraging you to seek out some 432hz meditation tracks (there are plenty on Youtube & Spotify), to listen and meditate to as a chance to see how they make you feel, for nothing beats what you can observe firsthand.

If you do, be sure to come back and share your experience in the comments section. I would love to hear what you think!

In the meantime, be sure read my blog post all about the The Golden Ratio & The Fibonacci Sequence and how it relates to music, linked here.

Sources:

• Auditory Neuroscience: Fundamental Frequencies of Notes in Western Music

• Pub Med: Music Tuned to 440 Hz Versus 432 Hz and the Health Effects: A Double-blind Cross-over Pilot Study

• Flutopedia: The Colour of Sound

• Jakub Marian: The “432 Hz vs. 440 Hz” Conspiracy Theory

• ISO: Acoustics- Standard Tuning Frequency

• A Brief History of the Establishment of International Standard Pitch A=440 hertz by Lynn Cavanagh

• Ask Video: Music Theory: Exploring The 432 Hz Tuning Debate

• Whipple Museum: Monochord

• Britannica: Classic Tuning Systems

• Wikipedia: Pythagorean Tuning