Music tuned to 432 hertz is gaining popularity on social media and streaming platforms, with many listeners claiming it helps with focus, relaxation, and even pain relief. But is there any science behind these claims?
The Rise of 432 Hz Music
Yoselin Sanchez, a telehealth worker in California, has lived with chronic pain from cervical scoliosis since birth. She finds relief through yoga, free flow dance, and listening to house music tuned to 432 hertz while working. "Music is medicine. Sound is medicine," she says. "It helps me focus and be engaged with the patient I'm assisting, and it also helps me relax."
432 hertz (cycles per second) is lower than the standard concert pitch of 440 hertz. Proponents assert that this frequency aligns with nature and possesses healing properties, such as reducing blood pressure. However, robust scientific evidence is lacking.
Susan Rogers, a Berklee College of Music professor emeritus who worked as Prince's sound engineer, dismisses the idea that 432 hertz is special. "There are frequencies going on right now that are higher than what we can hear and lower than what we can hear. And they're not special because they're one of the billions and billions of frequencies that we're receiving right now. To set one aside and say that it is the frequency of the universe is, as far as the science community is concerned, nonsense."
For Sanchez, the lack of scientific explanation doesn't matter. "When it comes to music, it could activate different feelings in people, the vibrations of it. It's not like a one-size-fits-all."
The History Behind 440 and 432 Hz
Throughout history, musicians tuned instruments to a common pitch to create harmony. The A above middle C on a piano often served as a reference. In 1939, representatives from multiple countries agreed on 440 hertz as the international standard. Before that, local standards varied widely.
Fanny Gribenski, a music historian at New York University, explains that concerns about singers' ability to perform older music drove the push for a lower standard. "The idea that it should be mainly a lower frequency than the ones that were in use at the time is really the cultural concern for protecting music from the past, protecting the voices of singers."
Artists have continued to experiment with pitch. In the 1980s and '90s, sound engineers sometimes sped up or slowed down recordings, moving away from 440 hertz. However, Rogers doubts retuning a whole band to 432 hertz would improve sound since 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."
Gribenski suggests that listeners who prefer 432 hertz might appreciate its sense of deceleration and a step away from bright modern sounds.
432 Hz Music in the Workplace
Amelia Beamer, who handles marketing at her family's pharmacy in North Carolina, uses 432 hertz music to manage her ADHD. She works for 25 minutes, takes a five-minute listening break, and returns to her task. "It definitely helps me feel more grounded and more centered," she says. "It helps me slow down and to take some intentional space and time for myself."
Diana Wolf Torres, a robot-focused content creator who suffers from migraines, uses 432 hertz music and white noise with noise-canceling headphones to block out distractions like leaf blowers. "I just want to be there and get it done and feel like I'm doing my best writing possible, and anything that keeps me in the zone is a fantastic tool."
Torres doesn't believe in special properties behind 432 hertz but notes that "maybe some people find this lower tuning more soothing." She also points out that most listeners won't verify if music labeled 432 hertz is accurate. "What does it matter? If you're getting an effect, are you really going to check the resonance? Do you care?"
Sanchez also listens to other frequencies like 528 and 963 hertz. "It's something worth exploring and finding out for yourself whether it has any benefits or not. For me, I find that grounding is beneficial to my overall wellbeing, so I see how it helps my livelihood."
