3 ms·

The length of the second is irrelevant. 432 makes the math easier by virtue of being more easily factorable, with no incidence as to what's heard.

by tripa 5y ago

arbitrage 5y ago
You are just wrong. Musicians can absolutely tell the difference between 432Hz and 440Hz. Audience typically can too, although they might not be able to put into words what is different. Personally, I prefer a brighter concert-A, 444 or higher.
- Sporktacular 5y ago
  Doubtful the audiences can, unless maybe they just heard another piece in 440 for comparison. Maybe those with good pitch memory would notice something before they readjusted. Maybe.
  - OscarCunningham 5y ago
    The pieces they used were John Williams movie soundtracks, so I can image that they were very familiar to some of the audience.
- tripa 5y ago
  Sorry, that wasn't my point but I haven't made it clear. 432 vs 440, independently of any unit, makes the math easier. 432Hz vs 440Hz, obviously, is two pitches that form an audible interval. But 432 can be a valuable explaining tool. Just don't read it as Hz, but Hz' (prime), cycles per s', such that 432Hz' = 440Hz. That's about as far as I'm willing to defend 432.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
mandmandam 5y ago
Yes, 432 is much easier to work with when you're factoring - as music demands. As well though, many musicians can certainly hear the difference, as pointed out. Incidentally, there are 432,000 seconds in 12 hours. Also fun - while continuing to acknowledge the somewhat arbitrary nature of human units - the diameter of the moon is 2159.1 miles - remarkably close to half of 4,320. The Sun's diameter is 865,370 miles - very close to twice 432,000. That they look the same size from Earth is wild to me, and suggests that Pythagoras may have been onto something with the music of the spheres bit. Also, just because our units could be otherwise, doesn't mean they are entirely arbitrary. I believe that things like that have a sort of wisdom of the crowds, evolution over time thing going on. Like other aspects of language, there is more to its development than is immediately obvious.

The length of the second is irrelevant. 432 makes the math easier by virtue of being more easily factorable, with no incidence as to what's heard.

by tripa 5y ago

The length of the second is irrelevant. 432 makes the math easier by virtue of being more easily factorable, with no incidence as to what's heard.

arbitrage 5y ago

You are just wrong. Musicians can absolutely tell the difference between 432Hz and 440Hz. Audience typically can too, although they might not be able to put into words what is different. Personally, I prefer a brighter concert-A, 444 or higher.

Sporktacular 5y ago
Doubtful the audiences can, unless maybe they just heard another piece in 440 for comparison. Maybe those with good pitch memory would notice something before they readjusted. Maybe.
- OscarCunningham 5y ago
  The pieces they used were John Williams movie soundtracks, so I can image that they were very familiar to some of the audience.
tripa 5y ago
Sorry, that wasn't my point but I haven't made it clear. 432 vs 440, independently of any unit, makes the math easier. 432Hz vs 440Hz, obviously, is two pitches that form an audible interval. But 432 can be a valuable explaining tool. Just don't read it as Hz, but Hz' (prime), cycles per s', such that 432Hz' = 440Hz. That's about as far as I'm willing to defend 432.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

mandmandam 5y ago

Yes, 432 is much easier to work with when you're factoring - as music demands. As well though, many musicians can certainly hear the difference, as pointed out. Incidentally, there are 432,000 seconds in 12 hours. Also fun - while continuing to acknowledge the somewhat arbitrary nature of human units - the diameter of the moon is 2159.1 miles - remarkably close to half of 4,320. The Sun's diameter is 865,370 miles - very close to twice 432,000. That they look the same size from Earth is wild to me, and suggests that Pythagoras may have been onto something with the music of the spheres bit. Also, just because our units could be otherwise, doesn't mean they are entirely arbitrary. I believe that things like that have a sort of wisdom of the crowds, evolution over time thing going on. Like other aspects of language, there is more to its development than is immediately obvious.