Originally posted by LightFantastic
This may have already been posted somewhere, after the 7th page or so I decided to see how long this thread was!
Anyway, I always thought that A4 was set at 440Hz because it was part of the scale that was selected to allow music to be played in any key with the least dischord. There are other scales that may sound better on different instruments.
Also, I don't think lowering the pitch of music on the 440Hz scale by 8Hz is the same as tuning an instrument to be on the 432Hz scale because middle C is the same in both scales. Thus the width of an octave in Hz will be different depending on the scale.
In addition, 432 has 'certain' mathematical properties because it a multiple of 9. As an example, I could pick say, 648, which is 72*9, then try dividing that number by 2 to 9...
648/2=324 (3+2+4) = 9
648/3=216 (2+1+6) = 9
648/4=162 (1+6+2) = 9
648/5=129.6 (1+2+9+6 = 18) (1+8) = 9
648/6=108 (1+0+8) = 9
648/7=92 This one doesnt work DOH!
648/8=81 (9+2+5+7) = 9
648/9=72 (7+2) = 9
You can rapidly test if a particular number is evenly divisible by 9 by seeing its digits add up to nine.
Google 'division by 9' to find other interesting properties.
[edit on 29/8/2009 by LightFantastic]
I hear ya, and this is interesting, kudos to you for doing your own experimenting with the concept & coming to your own conclusions- these figures haven't been posted here yet so you have provided a valuable contribution, however a relevant point re:432 would be that it is the only one in which ALL notes of its scale add up to 9.
THE ONLY ONE. your 648 doesn't meet 432's qualities, nor would any other '=9' number would as there will always be at least one note left out.
As you proved for yourself, I would encourage you explore this thread further & in particular check all the links posted throughout this thread to draw your own conclusions further, as you already have been.
Pitch is talked about with Semi Tones, Whole Tones & Cents.
Frequency Is talked of in KHz & Hertz
So 8Hz going down the scale specifically from 440-432 is
31.8 Cents (rounded up) & same result can be produced with a percentile time-shift value that someone else posted and I always forget.
Also, human don't perceive changes in amplitude (volume) in a linear fashion but instead logarithmically.
P.L.U.R.I
-B.Morrison
(edits to remove pompous overtones...)
(2nd edit to correct my own erroneous information)
[edit on 30/8/09 by B.Morrison]




