A Simple Perspective on 432 Hz
Introduction
Example of pro-432 hz website
If you aren't familiar with the 432 Hz conspiracy, that link would be an interesting primer.
Basically, music now is played to the tuning standard of 440 vibrations per second. Hundreds of years ago, not much was standardized, so a large variety of tuning standards would be used. (no, it wasn't always 415.0hz, Mozart played at 422.3) They ranged from way lower to higher than our current standard. Tuning before the standard of 440hz in 1939 was a very complicated mess.
Even after that, it was still split in different locations between 440 and 442, and then the modern Baroque tuning of 415 came around. (415 was only one of many Baroque pitches at the time.)
What is a second?
Part of the 432hz conspiracy is to make people believe that 432 was actually commonly used and that 440 was invented by Nazis and so on. Aside from the fact that 432 wasn't some old universal standard, 440 isn't even set in stone either. A lot of orchestras play at 442hz.
The real reason the whole 432hz logic is flawed, however, has to do with the definition of a second, as Adam Neely states in his video "432hz", a second is an extremely arbitrary amount of time, and defining it has always been a challenge. Essentially, there is no true, obvious basis for a second in the same way that a day is the amount of time thesun takes to orbit the Earth. (typo. Am I a Flat Earther? NOOO)
Subjective effects of 460, 440, 432, 422, and 415 hz Tunings
Curious to see what sort of sound and effects these different tunings have, I decided to try several different tunings on the piano.
I used the pieces Kinderszenen no.1, Mozart K545, and The Prince of Denmark's March in the experiment. Here are the results.
Prince of Denmark's March
460: light, treble-filled, pleasant
440: Crisp and gallant.
432: "normal", pretty, inspiring
422.3: Rich, calming, elegant
415: Conventional, sonorous
Kinderszenen
460: Introspective, nostalgic, lighter
440: Introverted, a bit brisk
432: Weighty, a little dark
422.3: Mature, dark, heavy
415: Black, a bit depressive
Mozart K545
460: Light, somewhat strange
440: Clean, a bit excited
432: Slightly dark, mixed, rather normal
422.3: Exciting, joyful, honest
415: Colorful, warm
Results:
Not surprisingly, the differences between high and low pitch centers are quite obvious. The higher ones produce a lighter, more effervescent effect. The lower ones, by contrast, get increasingly heavy and introspective. Each piece will bring a different result, however, and sometimes things can go backward compared to what one would expect.
In the Prince of Denmark's March, every tuning except 460 produced a somewhat "normal-sounding" result, with the main difference being the perceived Baroque emotional quality. (440 did not score high on that effect) 460 sounded too high, bringing to mind images of treble trumpets, which is not bad, but the lower tunings had more elegant depth and felt better suited for a royal march.
For Kinderszenen, the results were interesting. The higher tunings actually brought to mind more childhood memories, which is really the purpose of the piece. 432 and lower, however, felt increasingly depressed and void of nostalgia. I would only use them on the strange occasion where I wanted to feel "emo" while playing the piano. That's never happened yet. We'll see if it does. ;)
Finally, in Mozart's Easy Sonata in C, K545. 460hz and 415hz felt a bit forced, whereas 440 was nice and clear and 432 and 422 brought improved results in the colors and emotions of the piece. Particularly, Mozart's tuning of 422.3 matches the feeling that this sonata should have.
I'm sure he choose the key of all his pieces for a good reason.
Conclusion:
I have found that, depending on the musical work, Mozart's tuning of 422.3, and the standard of 440 provide good results. The Baroque tuning of 415 has a more typical feeling, I believe, because it corresponds to half a semitone flat of 440, making it change the emotional quality of music but in not in the more abstract way that 422.3 does. Sadly, an acoustic piano can only play 415 and 440hz out of these tunings, by means of moving down half a step for the latter, unless it's comprehensively re-tuned.
432?
In regards to the 432hz conspiracy, I would say it's quite wrong. Music can sound nice lowered, but it depends on the exact piece, and 432hz isn't necessarily the best frequency to tune to. Oftentimes, another pitch such as 422.3hz produces a more interesting and complex result. 440, on the other hand, isn't always the best. In Kinderszenen, 460 was at least just as good as 440.
Example of pro-432 hz website
If you aren't familiar with the 432 Hz conspiracy, that link would be an interesting primer.
Basically, music now is played to the tuning standard of 440 vibrations per second. Hundreds of years ago, not much was standardized, so a large variety of tuning standards would be used. (no, it wasn't always 415.0hz, Mozart played at 422.3) They ranged from way lower to higher than our current standard. Tuning before the standard of 440hz in 1939 was a very complicated mess.
Even after that, it was still split in different locations between 440 and 442, and then the modern Baroque tuning of 415 came around. (415 was only one of many Baroque pitches at the time.)
What is a second?
Part of the 432hz conspiracy is to make people believe that 432 was actually commonly used and that 440 was invented by Nazis and so on. Aside from the fact that 432 wasn't some old universal standard, 440 isn't even set in stone either. A lot of orchestras play at 442hz.
The real reason the whole 432hz logic is flawed, however, has to do with the definition of a second, as Adam Neely states in his video "432hz", a second is an extremely arbitrary amount of time, and defining it has always been a challenge. Essentially, there is no true, obvious basis for a second in the same way that a day is the amount of time the
Subjective effects of 460, 440, 432, 422, and 415 hz Tunings
Curious to see what sort of sound and effects these different tunings have, I decided to try several different tunings on the piano.
I used the pieces Kinderszenen no.1, Mozart K545, and The Prince of Denmark's March in the experiment. Here are the results.
Prince of Denmark's March
460: light, treble-filled, pleasant
440: Crisp and gallant.
432: "normal", pretty, inspiring
422.3: Rich, calming, elegant
415: Conventional, sonorous
Kinderszenen
460: Introspective, nostalgic, lighter
440: Introverted, a bit brisk
432: Weighty, a little dark
422.3: Mature, dark, heavy
415: Black, a bit depressive
Mozart K545
460: Light, somewhat strange
440: Clean, a bit excited
432: Slightly dark, mixed, rather normal
422.3: Exciting, joyful, honest
415: Colorful, warm
Results:
Not surprisingly, the differences between high and low pitch centers are quite obvious. The higher ones produce a lighter, more effervescent effect. The lower ones, by contrast, get increasingly heavy and introspective. Each piece will bring a different result, however, and sometimes things can go backward compared to what one would expect.
In the Prince of Denmark's March, every tuning except 460 produced a somewhat "normal-sounding" result, with the main difference being the perceived Baroque emotional quality. (440 did not score high on that effect) 460 sounded too high, bringing to mind images of treble trumpets, which is not bad, but the lower tunings had more elegant depth and felt better suited for a royal march.
For Kinderszenen, the results were interesting. The higher tunings actually brought to mind more childhood memories, which is really the purpose of the piece. 432 and lower, however, felt increasingly depressed and void of nostalgia. I would only use them on the strange occasion where I wanted to feel "emo" while playing the piano. That's never happened yet. We'll see if it does. ;)
Finally, in Mozart's Easy Sonata in C, K545. 460hz and 415hz felt a bit forced, whereas 440 was nice and clear and 432 and 422 brought improved results in the colors and emotions of the piece. Particularly, Mozart's tuning of 422.3 matches the feeling that this sonata should have.
I'm sure he choose the key of all his pieces for a good reason.
Conclusion:
I have found that, depending on the musical work, Mozart's tuning of 422.3, and the standard of 440 provide good results. The Baroque tuning of 415 has a more typical feeling, I believe, because it corresponds to half a semitone flat of 440, making it change the emotional quality of music but in not in the more abstract way that 422.3 does. Sadly, an acoustic piano can only play 415 and 440hz out of these tunings, by means of moving down half a step for the latter, unless it's comprehensively re-tuned.
432?
In regards to the 432hz conspiracy, I would say it's quite wrong. Music can sound nice lowered, but it depends on the exact piece, and 432hz isn't necessarily the best frequency to tune to. Oftentimes, another pitch such as 422.3hz produces a more interesting and complex result. 440, on the other hand, isn't always the best. In Kinderszenen, 460 was at least just as good as 440.
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