Did you know that the music we listen to today is tuned to a different scale then just a hundred years ago? The ultimate shift and wide scale adoption of the 440Hz standard was set in 1939 just prior to the start of World War II, by the American National Standard Institute and widely embraced by the musical industry, composers, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 16:1975, standard musical pitch, last updated 2022). To understand the debate arising from the standardization of the musical scale we must first understand the underlying power of sound from both a spiritual and physiological perspective. Proponents of tuning to 432Hz rather then 440Hz argue that this frequency delivers life enhancing properties to not only our biology but our emotional and mental states as well. Additionally, as you will see, it is more compatible with nature, mathematics, and harmonic theory. In contrast, our now attuned sound vibrations to the 440Hz scale may have been motivated by political and social controls. Although to most ears this change may be subtle, it is this “subtlety” that makes it a more covert tool is shaping the consciousness and the vibratory state of its listeners. To illustrate this point perhaps more clearly, imagine each evening that instead of listening to the evening news filled with images and scripting reminding us of everything we should be “fearful” of and instead replaced it with a program illustrating all the positive programs, interactions, inventions, and deeds of our fellow man. We would probably be living in a much different society. Sound has both a conscious and unconscious affect on us. We are quite aware of how it can emotionally shift our mood, but have you ever considered the biological effects? This article sets out to convey the history and evolution of this tuning change and the potential benefits of listening to music tuned to a 432Hz frequency.
History
Prior to 1859 there had been no attempts to standardize musical tuning. While Bach in the Baroque era used 415Hz (i.e., the “A” note is tuned to 415Hz), Mozart’s music was performed in 432Hz. Most countries and even cities had their own standards and there was no universal standard for instrumental tuning. However, in 1859 the French government set a law setting the tuning standard to 435Hz. Later, in 1939 the broadcasting industry made a push to make an international standard set to 440Hz. Held in London, and funded by oil companies, the conference organized by The Berlin Radio Acoustics Commission brought together international experts at the aim of standardizing the frequency of music. At this meeting it was proposed and accepted that the tuning be set to the A= 440Hz, of note also the tuning of the German radio. Despite the objection of uninvited French composer Robert Dussaut, and the 23,000 French artist who signed a petition opposing the standard on the merits that it would be detrimental to the artistic and cultural values of music, 440Hz was adopted. (Duman, 2023)
Interestingly, in-between World War I and II a partnership was formed between the Rothschild-Rockefeller families, funding scientific research into musical frequencies conducive to war making. (Dueman, 2023) The primary objective of these studies was to identify specific musical factors that could induce psychopathology, emotional distress, and even provoke “mass hysteria”(Schaeffner, 2013) These investigations were conducted with the intention of achieving both military goals and profitable population control (Duman,2023). I won’t dive deeper into the seemingly nefarious history around the development of acoustic vibrations in psychological warfare, but it’s certainly worth a second look if you are someone who harnesses the power of sound and music to alter your mood or more deeply support your physiological well-being. As with all sacred knowledge and technology itself, it is how and with what intent, that ultimately deems something as good or bad, helpful or harmful. I would propose with some curiosity, we investigate the effects of 440Hz tuning vs. 432Hz to understand whether these frequencies are disharmonious on a psychological and physiological level.
The Argument for 432Hz
On the other side stands the proponents of 432Hz, argue that this frequency is in resonance with not only the Schuman Resonance, otherwise known as the heartbeat of the Earth, but also the golden mean. The Schuman Resonance, is the natural vibration emitted by the Earth and calculated to be 7.83Hz to 8Hz. The vibration is said to be foundational to life itself and connecting to the “Earth’s heartbeat”, also known as grounding, can immediately restore feel good feelings. Although this is below the audible range of 20 -20,000Hz for humans and are considered near-infrasound, these vibrations are more felt then heard. This 8Hz frequency seems to not only have a fundamental role in the Earth itself, but is vital to our own biological function. Not only do the two hemispheres of the brain become synchronized at 8hz but it is also the frequency of the double helix in DNA replication. Melotonin and pinoline (produced in the pineal) induce a 8Hz signal to enable this replication. (Morales, 2017)
The tuning of the scale to 432Hz, known as the Cientifica Tuning, uses this 8Hz as its foundational baseline. According to harmonics, which says a sound produced at one note automatically resonates with other multiples of the same frequency. Therefore, we arrive at an “a” note at 256hz (starting from the 8hz we follow the seven notes of the musical scale 5 times) and create a scale whose frequency is tuned to 432Hz. This 432Hz scale, therefore, has a natural resonance with the planet and our bodies. Furthermore, it has been found that listening to music tuned to this scale can release emotional blocks and expand consciousness. 432hz positively affects the chakras, expands the feelings through the heart chakra and accelerates our spiritual growth. (Beaulieu, 2010)
As we tune our consciousness to a topic that may be new to us, we can see how a seemingly subtle shift may have big implications on our daily lives, affecting the vitality of our bodies and mind. Diving deeper into the harmonious (or disharmonious) effects that sound can have on us, opens us up to a whole new world of opportunity using music as medicine. Whether you explore the calming effects of Solfeggio frequencies or tune into music created from the 432hz scale, much can be gleamed by shifting those background vibrations to something tuned to be in harmony with you and the cosmos herself. Some simple explorations on your favorite music app for 432hz music, should start you on your own diagnostic journey to determine, can listening to music attuned harmonically to the Earth leave you with more clarity and an overall feeling of calm? Well now, that’s music to my ears.
Works Cited:
Beaulieu, J. (2010) Music and sound in the healing arts. Station Hill Press.
Duman, N. (2023). RETUNING THE UNIVERSE: EXAMINING THE COSMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SOUND FREQUENCIES, MUSIC AND HUMAN PERCEPTION. Istanbul. https://www.academia.edu/112549870/RETUNING_THE_UNIVERSE_EXAMINING_THE_COSMIC_SIGNIFICANCE_OF_SOUND_FREQUENCIES_MUSIC_AND_HUMAN_PERCEPTION
Morales, E. (2017). The healing forces of harmonic sounds and vibrations: Healing Through the Power of the Voice and the Mind. Jem Productions.
Schaeffner, A. (2013). A history of electroacoustic music in France 1900-1950. Editions Mardaga.