440 Hz Versus 432 Hz

Just what is up with these two frequencies and why are people so adamant about one being the better?

We often get questions and inquiries regarding what our crystal singing bowls are tuned to. In short, Crystal Singing Bowls are not tuned, they are created and tested with an orchestral tuner. They can be measured on any frequency and the note will vary plus or minus perfect pitch.

However, there is much controversy surrounding 440 Hz vs 432 Hz and we wanted to take a moment to help clarify the history of Hz measurement and help anyone interested understand it more in depth.

Let’s examine how the history of music and instrumental tuning weighs in on this issue. For different instruments to play well together, they all have to produce the same tone or be in harmonious pitch. The modern orchestral standard is A = 440 Hz where Hz is a unit of measure per second. 440 Hz would translate to 440 vibrations per second.

Before the invention of the tuning fork in 1711, there wasn’t a standardized way of tuning instruments. Church pianos played completely incompatibly with other musical instruments. Even after the tuning fork invention, there was no standardized tuning. Different regions used tuning forks at different frequencies.

In the 19th century, the era of pitch inflation started. According to the history on pitch, an 1815 tuning fork from the Dresden opera house gives A=423.2 Hz while one of eleven years later from the same opera house gives A=435 Hz. At La Scala in Milan, the A above middle C rose as high as 451 Hz.

Strings sounded better when their tensions were higher. As orchestras began competing with one another for the best sound they tuned their instruments higher and higher. This led to problems for singers to perform in these higher registers. The French government stepped in and made the tuning of A=435 hz and many orchestras and musicians followed this standard.

The British erroneously interpreted this standard as A=439 Hz.And because this number was a prime number and it was difficult to generate electronically with the standard electronic clock this number than changed.

In 1939, at an international conference held in London the standard changed to A=440 Hz and then later adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Virtually all commercially produced contemporary music is tuned to A =440 Hz. Most symphony orchestras use 441, 442, or 443 Hz and older music is tuned in to 415 to 470 Hz.

So is one better than the other? If you spend some time researching this topic you will find a multitude of conspiracy theories and opinions. The difference of the frequencies is only off by 8 points, so the argument that healing is greater for one or the other has not been scientifically documented. 432 Hz is found to be scientific tuning vs the 440 Hz which is the modern concert tuning.

Musical notes can vary even when they are measured by either frequency. By understanding these variances, the idea of using one vs the other as a standard can seem trivial.

However, as with everything trust your intuition and your personal experience. Take some time to review the difference in samples available and decide for yourself. It is our opinion with regards to Crystal Singing Bowls that the bowl itself will find its way to that part of you physically, emotionally or mentally that is in need of being harmonized.

Knowing the 440 Hz or 432 Hz measurement of your bowl although interesting, will not impact its ability to help you find a greater sense of wholeness and wellness and improve meditation. If you are using the Singing Bowls for professional musical applications or as a set then knowing the exact measurement can be vital for creating harmony. The OM Shoppe Chakra sets are preselected to create the best harmony together.

The Notes of the Crystal singing bowls, the clear handled bowls and the crystal tuning forks are all discovered and not created. When making these instruments, the instrument chooses its note in the creative and cooling process. Their notes are determined using an orchestral tuner which has a broad range of calibration from 349-499 Hz.

It can determine the instrument’s octave from 1-5 and can be measured at either 432 or 440 Hz. The note can differ up to 50 points in either direction. Specifically, the note C can have a range of minus 50 or plus 50 and still be that note C. In other words, there can be variation and still be considered in the note C.

Will this variation affect the healing properties or the quality of the sound? The answer in our experience is no, unless it is played with other bowls and then played with other instruments. That’s why the standard 440 hz is used so that harmonic resonance is taken into consideration. When purchasing a chakra set or using several instruments simultaneously, you may want to consider instruments that were measured by the same standard.

We are happy to provide any measurment on any Hz spectrum for any instruments purchased through The OM Shoppe. Happy harmonizing!