I have no idea which flair this should properly fall under. If the “other” tag is inappropriate, I’d be happy to recategorize it.
Many times I see study/sleep/chilling music videos and streams on YouTube that will include the sound frequency in the title. The one I’m listening to right now says the music is 432Hz.
Why does the sound frequency matter?
In: Other
Some believe certain frequencies, like 432Hz, are more calming and enhance focus or relaxation. It’s more about personal preference and effect than **scientific proof.**
It doesn’t. 432hz is crystals and essential oils for your ear. It’s woo. It’s total bollocks. You may enjoy listening to music slightly slowed down but it doesn’t align your chakras or whatever.
the only scientific proof of audio frequency improving memory/concentration is “binural beats” which takes place at lower frequencies 40hz…….but those studies were with very specific audio patterns which wouldnt pass for “music” as well as needing to be studied with good stereo (L channel / R channel) headphones.
there is nothing out there saying if you want to sleep listen to 300-400 and if you want to study listen to 456-700
another (more controllable) auditory thing to consider is general noise level. There is also proof that some background noise is good for us……too quiet or too loud is no good, but any kind of backround can increase productivity and creativity
“432 Hz” refers to a tuning standard. A tuning standard allows instruments to be in tune with each other, the most common one is A=440Hz, which means that the specific note A has a frequency of 440 Hz (basically setting down what its pitch is and saying “this is what A should sound as”). There have been many standards through history, up to A=460Hz or so (music sounds higher pitched with this).
432 Hz is just another standard, nothing special about it. Also, I suspect that most “432 Hz” music isn’t recorded or performed using A=432Hz specifically, rather it’s regular music (using A=440Hz) slowed down slightly so that the pitch is lower.
The whole 432hz thing being supposedly calming or whatever falls apart when you realise that’s what Pantera tuned to, and their music isn’t calming at all.
One time i was noodling on acoustic guitar to some ambient music and YT autoplayed to one of those 432hz uploads
I thought i was going to have to adjust my tuning… I did not
So apparently, sometimes its not even 432hz, which i think proves that the people uploading (sometimes) know its BS
The reality:
Modern music is “tuned” so that the A below middle C is 440Hz. An instrument playing that note will not only cause 440Hz sound, though – there are resonances and such from within the instrument that will cause other frequencies to occur too.
This is the case, so when, for example, you tune a guitar, it is tuned in a way that everyone else will expect it to be tuned to.
In the past, there were other tunings. It doesn’t matter what frequency you tune to – the music would be a bit higher or lower pitch, but the form will be the same. For the vast majority of us, we wouldn’t likely even notice that one song used a different tuning than another one unless they were olverlaid against each other.
Most people don’t have perfect pitch, so as long as the relative pitch is the same, we don’t really care. You could play a song that is normally in the key of C, and transpose it to B, and while it will be quite a bit different for the musicians to play, and you might notice that something is up (particularly if you’re singing it and it pushes your range), but the music itself will be the same music.
Some musicians will intentionally play in a different tuning because they like the way it sounds – and this is legitimate. Some people have perfect pitch and can notice this stuff easily, too.
That’s the historical aspect of what A= x Hz means.
What all these stupid youtube videos proffer is that music that is tuned to a different frequency will have some positive effect on you, your body, or your mind, due to some nonsensical ideas that are irrelevant. If someone makes a claim like this, you can likely dismiss anything they tell you at all.
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