4 ms·
Anywhere in the USA where there's electricity, the frequency we're hearing the most is probably 60Hz and a couple harmonics thereof. It's between B and B-flat.
by rdiddly 10y ago
Anywhere in the USA where there's electricity, the frequency we're hearing the most is probably 60Hz and a couple harmonics thereof. It's between B and B-flat. I've been curious for some time now what it would sound like to perform in a scale tempered around that, such as B = 480 (and 60), which translates to A = about 427.6 by my rough calculation.
60 Hz is everywhere, often at a subliminal level, sometimes at an obvious/conscious level like when you walk underneath powerlines or use a garage-door opener. In any case I suspect it's a lot more obvious and perceptible to most people than any cosmic vibrations. I bet fixing your music to resonate with THAT, would (perhaps sadly) feel a lot more "cosmically in-tune" than what they're proposing with 432 Hz.
- drewmate 10y agoPerhaps it is fortuitous that music isn't 'in tune' with everyday background noise. The fact that the frequencies (now consistent) are entirely separate from the buzz of a transformer or garage door opener puts music in its own plane just a bit more magical and pleasing than the quotidian drone we tend to ignore. Then again, maybe it's just a number and our brains couldn't care less either way.
- MandieD 10y agoMy middle school band director told us that the hum of the lights was B-flat, but that would make A=453, which is rather high. My Yamaha flute is A=442, which is pretty common. You can always pull a headjoint out (lowers pitch), but there's a limit to how far in you can push it in.