A growing online trend promoting music tuned to 432 hertz as a healing tool has been dismissed by scientists as lacking evidence. Enthusiasts claim the lower frequency, compared to the standard 440 hertz, offers relaxation and health benefits, but experts say these assertions are unfounded.
Yoselin Sanchez, who suffers from chronic pain due to cervical scoliosis, uses 432 hertz music alongside yoga and dance to manage her discomfort. 'Music is medicine. Sound is medicine,' she said, adding that it helps her focus while working. However, Susan Rogers, professor emeritus at Berklee College of Music and former sound engineer for Prince, called the idea 'nonsense'. 'To set one aside and say that it is the frequency of the universe is, as far as the science community is concerned, nonsense,' she stated.
The 432 hertz tuning involves adjusting the A above middle C from 440 hertz to 432 hertz, producing a slightly lower pitch. Some listeners perceive a warmer, more harmonious sound. Historically, pitch standards varied locally until 1939, when 440 hertz was adopted internationally to protect singers' voices and facilitate travel. Music historian Fanny Gribenski noted that lower pitches were favoured to preserve past music and vocal ranges.
Rogers questioned whether retuning instruments to 432 hertz would improve sound quality, as many modern instruments are designed for 440 hertz. 'Some of those instruments might sound a little sweeter, but it’s likely that most won’t,' she said. Gribenski suggested that fans of 432 hertz may appreciate a sense of deceleration from modern brightness. Despite the lack of scientific backing, users like Sanchez continue to find personal benefit, emphasising that music's effects vary individually.
