Total bullshit. I know there are a lot of internet mutterings on this subject, but (coming from someone who has studied music for their entire life) it's bullshit.
I mean, believe whatever fantasy inspires you, I guess, but for anyone who is interested in the truth, it's bullshit.
It is absurd to think that any acoustic instrument would maintain a perfect tuning of 440 (which is the frequency for A above middle C). Instruments constantly change tuning slightly due to the affect of the environment upon the material of the instrument, which causes it to go sharp (say 448) or flat (say 432). It moves around constantly. Even an instrument in a perfectly controlled environment will shift in this way due to how it is played each moment.
Another thing I hear is, "the human body has a resonance point at 432". Oh yeah? Resonance is determined by volume: do all human bodies have the same volume?
Here's an idea: learn how PLAY the instrument, instead of obsessing over how to TUNE it.
But don't people usually tune before playing and it would pretty much stay in tune while playing? Not saying I'm sold on this making a big difference.. but I mostly listen to obnoxious shit :) maybe I should start by listening to more beautiful music.
No, it's not "quite a ways apart". I'm not trying to be mean, but if you're implying that a shift of 8 cents (432 and 440) is uncommon, you shouldn't be making that statement because you clearly don't know. Even the ultimate pro musician wouldn't be able to avoid playing some notes that flat or sharp. In other words, it's not unlikely, it is the norm. What's more, a note can change pitch (far more than 8 cents) by interacting with it's environment. For instance, the Doppler effect. Ever hear an ambulance siren as it drives by, and when it passes you it seems to get noticeably lower in pitch? Listen next time, you'll definitely hear it. That change in pitch is way more than the difference between 432 & 400, probably 40 cents. In other words, only in a vacuum could you achieve this supposedly divine tuning!
It's a free country, listen to whatever you like. But the point is you're listening to the music, not the temperament (system of tuning). 99.99% of the quality of the song is based off of the song-writing & performance, not the temperament. It's not like you can make your guitar 8 cents flat and then suddenly your playing magically becomes beautiful (or "wicked", or whatever you're into). That kind of improvement only happens when you invest your time into learning how to play the instrument (which seems obvious, but it might not be to some people apparently). God has made sure that there are no shortcuts, because it is the love of the instrument (which results in more practice) which yields beauty.
Total bullshit. I know there are a lot of internet mutterings on this subject, but (coming from someone who has studied music for their entire life) it's bullshit. I mean, believe whatever fantasy inspires you, I guess, but for anyone who is interested in the truth, it's bullshit. It is absurd to think that any acoustic instrument would maintain a perfect tuning of 440 (which is the frequency for A above middle C). Instruments constantly change tuning slightly due to the affect of the environment upon the material of the instrument, which causes it to go sharp (say 448) or flat (say 432). It moves around constantly. Even an instrument in a perfectly controlled environment will shift in this way due to how it is played each moment. Another thing I hear is, "the human body has a resonance point at 432". Oh yeah? Resonance is determined by volume: do all human bodies have the same volume? Here's an idea: learn how PLAY the instrument, instead of obsessing over how to TUNE it.
But don't people usually tune before playing and it would pretty much stay in tune while playing? Not saying I'm sold on this making a big difference.. but I mostly listen to obnoxious shit :) maybe I should start by listening to more beautiful music.
Ah, I see what you mean. It's never going to be super precise, but 432 and 440 are quite a ways apart
No, it's not "quite a ways apart". I'm not trying to be mean, but if you're implying that a shift of 8 cents (432 and 440) is uncommon, you shouldn't be making that statement because you clearly don't know. Even the ultimate pro musician wouldn't be able to avoid playing some notes that flat or sharp. In other words, it's not unlikely, it is the norm. What's more, a note can change pitch (far more than 8 cents) by interacting with it's environment. For instance, the Doppler effect. Ever hear an ambulance siren as it drives by, and when it passes you it seems to get noticeably lower in pitch? Listen next time, you'll definitely hear it. That change in pitch is way more than the difference between 432 & 400, probably 40 cents. In other words, only in a vacuum could you achieve this supposedly divine tuning!
It's a free country, listen to whatever you like. But the point is you're listening to the music, not the temperament (system of tuning). 99.99% of the quality of the song is based off of the song-writing & performance, not the temperament. It's not like you can make your guitar 8 cents flat and then suddenly your playing magically becomes beautiful (or "wicked", or whatever you're into). That kind of improvement only happens when you invest your time into learning how to play the instrument (which seems obvious, but it might not be to some people apparently). God has made sure that there are no shortcuts, because it is the love of the instrument (which results in more practice) which yields beauty.