432 Hz Tuning

If an entire piece is retuned from A4 = 440 Hz to A4 = 432 Hz while preserving the same intervals, every note shifts downward by the same proportion. The ratio is 432/440, about 0.982. That corresponds to roughly 32 cents, about a third of an equal-tempered semitone. A melody keeps its pattern, but its absolute pitch sits a little lower.

No. It is a shared tuning reference that lets musicians and instruments agree on the pitch of A4. ISO 16:1975 specifies 440 Hz for standard musical pitch. Other reference pitches have been used and can be chosen deliberately; the frequency number alone says nothing about the quality of a composition.

Small studies have compared responses to recordings at 432 and 440 Hz, but they do not establish a general therapeutic advantage for 432 Hz. Music, expectations, volume and setting can all influence a listener's response. One randomized dental study had 15 participants in each tuning group and reported no significant cortisol difference between them. Enjoy a tuning if you prefer its sound; avoid treating the number as medical evidence.

Use the same performance, retuned by the 432/440 ratio, and match loudness. Playing a different recording adds changes in performance, production and volume. Listen first without knowing which version is which. If you alternate only A4 tones, you are testing a pitch difference; if you alternate full mixes, you are also hearing how the retuning affects every instrument.