Why 432hz Tuning?


A while back I made a post about the 432-EVO streamer and it's ability to convert the signal to 432hz tuning. There was much discussion about why would you convert to 432hz from our current 440hz. This post is not about equipment but this conversion of tuning. I stumbled across this video that offers an excellent observation. This may be a bit deep for some of you and I get it but if you watch the whole thing I think a good argument can be made for 432hz tuning. Oh, and I really don't care if you agree or don't agree or whether you like it or don't like it, I'm merely providing information. Enjoy by removing the spaces.....

https: //www.you tube.   com/watch    ?v=_cHHRXJRIAE

 

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@edcyn , I understand what you are saying. While this is really a separate issue, it further makes my point. It may not be practical, or may be impossible, to tune the fiddle to achieve the “magical” A432 tuning. In a way, it’s the same problem for winds. One can pull the mouthpiece out on the neck of a saxophone, or the lead pipe on a trumpet, in order essentially extend the length of the instrument and hence lower the pitch, but it is impractical since the instrument is not designed that way acoustically. Doing so will throw everything off and the instrument will not be in tune with itself. IOW, the pitch relationship between notes will be altered. One might be able to achieve A432 with one note, but the fifths and octaves (just two examples) will be way off with no practical relationship to A432.

 

Interesting reading. It should be noted that while it is true that tuning lower than A440 has been used through musical history, there is no indication that actual A432 was used; and certainly not as a “standard”.

https://www.mozartpiano.com/articles/pitch.php

@zgas-music, in answer to your question, note the reference to Gardiner’s recording in the “End Notes” of the article above.

A point of clarification:

The eagle-eyed who read the article that I posted above will notice that there is a reference in it about the way that the pitch of a tuning fork lowers as its temperature rises.  This may seem to contradict what I wrote about the way that pitch rises as instruments in an orchestra warm up.  Not a contradiction at all.  The reason that instruments go sharper as they warm up is that air becomes less dense as it warms up.  Being less dense causes the air inside the instrument to travel faster, so the pitch rises.

@frogman Thank you for finding this interesting article. I have a few Mozart piano concerti recorded with Gardiner as part of a Gardiner box set. I will say the older pianoforte sounds thin and odd to my modern Steinway ears. Will give them another listen.