# A440 Hz vs A432 Hz



## musicman77 (Apr 4, 2018)

Discuss why A440 Hz was chosen as the standard in 1953. I have heard some lobby for A432 Hz. Just curious.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

440 has five prime factors, while 432 rather wastefully needs seven. Thus 440 is more efficient. It similarly wins on syllable count as well as number of unique digits required. I'm sure these were major considerations in making the choice.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

Fans of 432 think there's a conspiracy...


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## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

musicman77 said:


> Discuss why A440 Hz was chosen as the standard in 1953. I have heard some lobby for A432 Hz. Just curious.


This Wikipedia article is pretty good:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch

A432 is preferred by most singers. IIRC, toward the end of her career, Renata Tebaldi ran for public office in Italy on the issue of lowering the diapason.


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

Because A440 makes more cents!


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I think you're asking "why 440" instead of 432, 438, 442, 445 or some other number? One of my teachers suggested that it was a compromise - they took the standard tunings used all over and basically averaged them - the closest number was 440. Probably not true, but it sounds good. In any event, it is a real pain to play for groups that tune 442 when I tune my setup for 440. That's why it's safe playing with amateur orchestras: you can play anywhere from 432 to 444 and no one is going to know! Outside of that range, you're probably better off playing in a grade school band.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I found that orchestras might tune to A = 440....but after a few minutes of performance, the pitch would rise to 442 or so, then hold steady..this was due to the room temperature rising, both on stage, lights, energy expended, and in the hall full of warm bodies, and instruments warming up...with professional orchestras, the increase in pitch was uniform, throughout the ensemble....therefore, pretty much unnoticeable. Rising room temp affects everyone the same, and then pitch would remain steady.
With amateur groups, often the pitch would keep escalating, and this is torture...the pitch gets so high that the instruments get out of tune with themseives. Intonation is all over the map.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

I like blue .


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Esoterically, philosophically or metaphysically, it's an ancient idea that the vibrational frequency of the tones of our scale is supposed to represent the pitch reflective of "The Music of the Spheres." The question is whether the vibrational frequencies of the universe is gradually changing pitch. The philosophical belief involved here is that the actual movement of the planets around the Sun make sounds that can somehow be heard. "Pythagoras proposed that the Sun, Moon, and planets all emit their own unique hum based on their orbital revolution and that the quality of life on Earth reflects the tenor of celestial sounds which are physically imperceptible to the human ear." Esoterically, concert pitch would supposedly be a reflection of the fundamental sound of the universe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_universalis

Some consider A=432 Hz closer in sound, more naturally relaxed and in-tune, to the basically imperceptible sound of the universe. I'm used to A=440 but A=432 sounds far more relaxed in the voices and the strings. The idea that The Music of the Spheres exists goes back to the belief in where music and sound come from at its source and that the composer only rearranges those fundamental sounds.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

MarkW said:


> I like blue .


I like to know a little bit more about OP .


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## musicman77 (Apr 4, 2018)

Thank you. Good Wikipedia article Wkasimer.
Thank you for what you wrote Larkenfield.
You're right Heggelund, they do.

I am happy with classical music as it is (A440). Never gave it a thought.
Just that a friend is a fan of A432 such as in this article: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/12/21/heres-why-you-should-convert-your-music-to-432hz/ or this one:


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## musicman77 (Apr 4, 2018)

Good synopsis. 
Two links that a fan of A432 Hz has sent me are:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/...usic-to-432hz/ 





I am happy with the status quo (A440) but it is food for thought I suppose.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

KenOC said:


> 440 has five prime factors, while 432 rather wastefully needs seven. Thus 440 is more efficient. It similarly wins on syllable count as well as number of unique digits required. I'm sure these were major considerations in making the choice.


Actually, 440 has three _different or distinct _prime factors - 2 (cubed), 5, 11 -- while 432 only has two -- 2 (to the fourth power) times 3 (cubed). So 432 is clearly the more efficient choice. More importantly, it's also an easier high A for baritones to sing!

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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