A decades-long debate among musicians about tuning is bound up with Nazi conspiracy theories, New Age healing methods, practical consideration of what’s easiest on a singer’s vocal chords, a revived connection to ancient math and aesthetics, and more abstract connections to a higher order.
Should instruments be tuned to 440 hertz or 432 hertz?
In 1955, an international standard of A=440 hertz was set to unify the different concert pitches previously in use. This means the number of vibrations per second of the middle A is 440. But some say A=432 hertz brings music to another level.
Tests Suggest 432 Hertz More Complete, Peaceful
Music scholar Maria Renold, in her book “Intervals, Scales, Tones and the Concert Pitch,” described how she tested the different effects on listeners created by 440 hertz and 432 hertz tuning. She asked thousands of people in various countries over the course of 20 years to evaluate how they felt listening to each.
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