Exploring The 432 Hz Tuning Debate from Ask.Audio

[kenbennett]

The placebo effect is real. I have started tuning to A437.5Hz. It is 440Hz -10 cents. Don't know what it does to my chakra or chi but it is easier on my fingers.

I hate 432Hz though. Sounds like a dirge. The old French standard was 435Hz. There has been a call by opera singers to lower the tuning to save their vocal cords. Isn't 440Hz an arbitrary 1939 standard though?

BS or not, lowering the tuning is a worthy consideration. Saves wear and tear on the fingers and instruments.

Strings sound...fwappy.

All tuning standards are arbitrary.

If you're worried about your fingers, use lighter gauge strings.

If you're worried about sounding good with other instruments, tune to 440 and 99 percent of the time you will have nothing to worry about.

[kenbennett]

It could go sharp. My point was that a figure instrument would provide contrast for the band acting as the ground. With guitar string bends it can go probably even go both ways. That's all.

And what, again, is the advantage of being out of tune? I don't get it.

There are techniques used in audio processing where you add out of tune versions of your part to the original part in order to create a thicker sound, but they are usually one slightly flat and one slightly sharp. And original in-tune part is still the predominant part with the detuned parts mixed in with less volume. Chorus effects do something similar.

Besides, we were never considering only one instrument in an ensemble to be out of tune. If you adopt 432 everybody has to tune to 432 or get off the bandstand!

[matt.guitarteacher]

@matt.guitarteacher, what did you like about this post? I don't get it. 420 is where it's at, but that has nothing to do with tuning.

because I assumed that it was a joke, and I thought it was funny. Kind of along the lines of what you're saying here:

All tuning standards are arbitrary.

[kenbennett]

because I assumed that it was a joke, and I thought it was funny. Kind of along the lines of what you're saying here:

I understand. I like jokes too.

[kenbennett]

I made a Excel spreadsheet just like the chart in the OP's linked article. You can use it to visualize/analyze
various tunings. Download the spreadsheet and type in any number you like in the Tuning Reference box and it will calculate all the frequencies for you.

Tuning Reference Spreadsheet

[lammie200]

And what, again, is the advantage of being out of tune? I don't get it.

There are techniques used in audio processing where you add out of tune versions of your part to the original part in order to create a thicker sound, but they are usually one slightly flat and one slightly sharp. And original in-tune part is still the predominant part with the detuned parts mixed in with less volume. Chorus effects do something similar.

Besides, we were never considering only one instrument in an ensemble to be out of tune. If you adopt 432 everybody has to tune to 432 or get off the bandstand!

I think that you pretty much answered your question in your second paragraph. Tension and resolution.

Let's say that you have a band with 3 guitar players, one bassist, one drummer, two keyboardists, backup singers and a lead vocalist. Everyone is tuned to a center pitch except for the one guitarist that will be taking a solo. That guitarist may be a few cents flat. They play a song with completely discernible groove, but the solo guitarist doesn't play until the measures for the solo. Those measures come about and the solo guitarist starts playing straight unbended notes slightly behind the beat. They may have a delay that puts a note on the beat, but the accented attack is behind the beat and ever so slightly flat. Then they shift their solo playing to bent notes that are closer to the center pitch and closer to the beat. The delay may start to bounce things slightly ahead and behind the beat. Then they shift their solo note playing with bent notes that are slightly sharp and slightly ahead of the beat. The delay emphasizes notes ahead of the beat but still captures things on the beat. The right guitartist (not me!) can probably make this sound less like a confusing mess and more like an epiphany.

[kenbennett]

I think that you pretty much answered your question in your second paragraph. Tension and resolution.

Let's say that you have a band with 3 guitar players, one bassist, one drummer, two keyboardists, backup singers and a lead vocalist. Everyone is tuned to a center pitch except for the one guitarist that will be taking a solo. That guitarist may be a few cents flat. They play a song with completely discernible groove, but the solo guitarist doesn't play until the measures for the solo. Those measures come about and the solo guitarist starts playing straight unbended notes slightly behind the beat. They may have a delay that puts a note on the beat, but the accented attack is behind the beat and ever so slightly flat. Then they shift their solo playing to bent notes that are closer to the center pitch and closer to the beat. The delay may start to bounce things slightly ahead and behind the beat. Then they shift their solo note playing with bent notes that are slightly sharp and slightly ahead of the beat. The delay emphasizes notes ahead of the beat but still captures things on the beat. The right guitartist (not me!) can probably make this sound less like a confusing mess and more like an epiphany.

My 2nd paragraph was this ...

There are techniques used in audio processing where you add out of tune versions of your part to the original part in order to create a thicker sound, but they are usually one slightly flat and one slightly sharp. And original in-tune part is still the predominant part with the detuned parts mixed in with less volume. Chorus effects do something similar.

That has nothing to do with tension and release. If you actually try this and listen to all the parts at roughly equal levels you will hear that the effect is ALL tension with NO release.

And, again, what we're talking about is EVERYBODY tuning to the new reference, not just one person in a band. Timing or bending notes has nothing to do with it. This is strictly a discussion of whether your tuning reference is 440Hz or 432Hz.

[lammie200]

...And, again, what we're talking about is EVERYBODY tuning to the new reference, not just one person in a band. Timing or bending notes has nothing to do with it. This is strictly a discussion of whether your tuning reference is 440Hz or 432Hz.

Sorry, I didn't realize the thread had such a narrow focus. My bad.

[kenbennett]

Sorry, I didn't realize the thread had such a narrow focus. My bad.

Well, yea, that's the topic: whether 432Hz tuning is better than 440Hz. It is a controversy with some dubious arguments on the 432 side.

[Dennis D]

Well, yea, that's the topic: whether 432Hz tuning is better than 440Hz. It is a controversy with some dubious arguments on the 432 side.

Exactly.

I also find the 432Hz advocates have omitted classic studies related to the player's posture upon harmonics. As far back as 1722, JS Bach had already established and proven the notion of correct posture for accurate tonal intonation. He logically reasoned that poor posture constricted not only the players shoulders, but also the notes played.

See his reference work : " The Well-Tempered Clavicle ".

[vintagelove]

Look at the comments on the linked article. They shred her pretty bad, just about everything in the article turns out to be false...