Re: A = 440 Hz OR 432 Hz?

[Ben Edwards <astralmnemonics@gmail.com>]

But if instruments were resonant with 432 wouldn't the harmonics "sound nicer" and vice versa?  Therefor any culture that creates a resonance theory based on math and physics would have a reason to believe that music would follow the same rules as a consistency of harmonic relationships or sacred geometry.  I think the real issue here is a monopoly of 440Hz=A on recorded music not necessarily sacred, improvised, world, electronic, composed, ... , music in a quantum historical context.  That can be argued aesthetically and geometrically philosophic in any parallel Shrodinger's Cat dimension that seems to fit with internal logic and experimentation.  Just my thought for the moment as this has been an interesting study for me in the last couple years.  Keep the debate going as it is interesting from both sides.

On Fri, Nov 9, 2012 at 3:36 PM, Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill <moinsound@googlemail.com> wrote:

This reminds me of that scene in Eco's "Focault's Pendulum" where one of the protagonists goes on to show how the dimensional relationships of a lottery sales booths perfectly relate to physical constants, the measurements of the pyramids and whatnot.

It might make sense to stick with some facts for a change:
  * tunings were lower in the past (e.g. the old Paris norm of 409 Hz)
  * the 432Hz for concert a comes from the idea to have a c at 1 Hz, which results in a c 8 octaves above at 256 Hz, which results in a at 432Hz. In other words, it's the result of c frequencies being powers of 2 - which is not at all something worthwile, considering that "c" and "second" are merely invented things, not given by nature.
   * "the Germans", which were so nicely depicted in that article, typically tune to 442Hz (as do the Austrians).
   * many singers liked the 432Hz better, because they're lazy asses. Great composers preferred the higher tunings (e.g. Mahler, Wagner, with different relationships to the proverbial "Germans") because they sound nicer and offer better clarity. The former has mainly to do with the physical properties of string instruments.
   * that lower tunings offer better clarity is, of course, crap. The opposite is true, which you can find out using a simple test: play a low note, then detune in a blind test by a certain amount (e.g. 1 cent) and see if you can hear that. Then repeat with a considerably higher note.


Just my two cents in a non-Euro currency ;)

Am 06.11.2012 05:55, schrieb Jack Cattedra:

Stumbled upon this topic recently and I find it very interesting. From my personal experience and experimentation, I've found that I naturally tune my instruments to this frequency or a harmonic of it. Not to mention, songwriting just seems to flow so much easier this way, who knows. I don't like to intellectualize these types of things too much, but I figured I'd share these links anyway. :)