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OT? Is 440 tuning fundamentally wrong?


zukskywalker

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Everything is relative, including pitch. Whether 432, or 444, these changes are glacially (even climate), slooow.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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It'd definitely sound a lot worse tuned to A432. They seem oblivious to the fact that musical instruments are designed to be tuned to A440. I highly doubt that any of these folks know shit from shinola about physics. I found no evidence of it the last time this came up a few months ago. Reading their tripe made my head hurt.

 

So I won't be dropping a new transmission into my B3 any time soon.

 

--wmp
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Certain theories even suggest that the nazi regime has been in favor of adopting this pitch as standard after conducting scientific researches to determine which range of frequencies best induce fear and aggression. Whether or not the conspiracy is factual...
...is of no consequence to us. It sounds controversial so we'll run with it."

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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I skimmed that article when I first saw it on FB a few days ago. It's nothing but claims and anecdotes. Show me a scientific study (or better, several) that proves that people react better to music tuned to 432 Hz and we can talk. A few folks saying "hey maaan, I like it better at this pitch" don't mean $#!^.

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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It would disenfranchise so many horn flutes, saxes, etc players, B3 players too.

Just to be nice and open minded, not a nazi ( re nazi card ) , what if I said, sure the acoustic guitar playing at 432 did sound better to me. It also sounded less bright, timbre wise. Whether this is eq, or engineering trick, or whether the dropping in pitch naturally, and acoustically caused the perceived lessening of brightness, I know not. But I admit, I liked the 432 a tad better.

That does not mean anything in isolation though.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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To me , all the music tuned to 432hz sounded flat and a bit lifeless. The 440hz sounds superior.

But the water mysteries has mainstream scientists burying their heads in the sand , with no answers , and not wanting to try and give an answer.

For reasons I won't go into , in case I ruffle some feathers on a couple of people here :D.

 

Brett

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LOL, reminds me of that episode of Myth Busters where they tried to prove/disprove the "theory" that really low frequency sound waves can cause the human bowel to "release" as it were :D

 

Of course it turned out to be similar to this article and just a pile of s#it ( :D or the lack of), so was was classified as busted!

There is no luck - luck is simply the confluence of circumstance and co-incidence...

 

Time is the final arbiter for all things

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I'm kind of hairy, but I don't have feathers.

 

I might be willing to drink a pint or two of tuning fluid and play with some 432 folks if they have a great answer to kanker's favorite question. But I don't think that'll ever happen.

--wmp
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OK, I apologize for posting a link to such sewage. It was just a look at something different from convention. There's a somewhat similar thing going on about how we perceive color. Just because we all agree what color red is doesn't mean we all see the same color.

 

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Some guitar players like a lower tuning because bending strings a whole step or more is hard work and even causes tendinitis for some players but tuning down makes the strings more slack and easier work. Hendrix Trower Frank Marino van Halen SRV were a half step down most of the time.Lower tuning is more droney and flat sounding. On guitar and everything else i prefer 440.

I like the brighter sound of the upper harmonics

 

 

FunMachine.

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I read the article, a while back. Lots of 'reaches' there....Now if there happened to be an actual, scientifically conclusive study, I might consider slight mood affectation being a result of A=432 vs. A=440. Then again, I might not - having spent a portion of misspent youth among some rather superstitious folk.

 

Strangely enough, though: I was attempting to correctly learn the changes to the Todd Rundgren song : "Can We Still Be Friends". Turns out that it's in F minor, and tuned to A432. Go figure.... Must've downloaded the metaphysical version of the youtube app. :crazy:

'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo.

 

We need a barfing cat emoticon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Once standards began to emerge, there has been a half-millenium trend towards incrementally raising A, to sound brighter. I seem to remember reading of A-435 being a defacto standard in the 19th century.

 

In a "standard" modern A-440 orchestra, the xylophone is normally tuned to A-442 to cut through. Some orchestras have been reputed to raise their standard A to 442, which is close enough (about 8 cents sharp) to use without redesigning your woodwind instruments.

 

I found a semi-interesting blog entry here.

-Tom Williams

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The BSO tunes to A442. It is indeed about 8 cents sharp of 440.

 

A440 simplifies the arithmetic for critters with ten fingers. There will probably never be any universal consensus on pitch, tuning, temperament, or much else. So keep the fridge well stocked wIth tuning fluid. I get about 5 cents of WGAF per pint. YMMV.

 

 

 

A432 doesn't bother me as much as the pile of BS that comes with it.

--wmp
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ColdPlay's piano is tuned to A444, a least on the one tune of theirs I had to learn. What a pain, I had to switch pianos that day. I just couldn't play along being about 10 cents flat, it was like getting stabbed in the face.

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No. US use A440, as does the UK. Europe does use A442 somewhat.

 

If an orchestra needs to pitch sharp to stand out, to me, that's akin to middle age compensating.

 

..Joe

Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
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No. US use A440, as does the UK. Europe does use A442 somewhat.

 

If an orchestra needs to pitch sharp to stand out, to me, that's akin to middle age compensating.

 

..Joe

 

Yes to above. What we need is to be in tune, with whatever it might be.

 

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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Hey OP, I defend your decision to bring this thread to light. It gave me pause to think about what I take for granted.

You don't have ideas, ideas have you

We see the world, not as it is, but as we are. "One mans food is another mans poison". I defend your right to speak hate. Tolerance to a point, not agreement

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