Classical Tuning and Frequencies

By Jonel Boljanac
MOST CLASSICAL MUSIC TODAY IS NOT PLAYED IN THE CORRECT PITCH OR KEY! The early classical composer's notes and frequencies associated with those notes are different than what is commonly used and taught today. According to the Dialogus of Pseudo-Odo the first use of oman letter nominal modulo A ! " D # $ % as music notation on the Pythagorean monochord& ' http&((tonalsoft.com(enc(p(pseudo-odo)dialogus.asp* + The opening note is G not ", it is sym-oli.ed -y the %ree/ letter % then followed -y A ! " D # $ and the octa0e is sym-oli.ed -y the oman letter G. 1t is interesting that in music notation the treble staff is called the "G clef"! 2ot the '" clef'3 1 -elie0e this to -e originated in the Pythagorean monochord3 4athematicians 5 music professors ali/e claim the Pythagorean monochord was tuned to around "6789:. 'the open note+ or A6;<=:.. >ell according to the a-o0e document it is G=256Hz. Then that ma/es A68;;:. '"?, 4 notes up in todays system+3 1n History of Musical Pitch -y A.@. #llis pu-lished =AAB, Praetorius in =9=C had Dammerton '"ham-er Pitch+ at A68EB.E :.. Ex c!l" # $%!e& '()'e* & +e&c*(,e+& 8EB.E di0ided -y =.B8C;9<= 'per half step down+, A flat or %? 6 8<A.9, % 6 8<A.;, % flat or $? 6 ;EC.A, $ 6 ;87.C '"lose to our A6;;B+, # 6 ;7E.;. The "athedral Organ of :al-erstadt, %ermany in =<9=, A 6 8B9.C, half steps down are& A flat or %? 6 ;EA.;, % 6 ;8=.8, % flat or $? 6 ;79.7, $ 6 ;B7.< close equi0alent to todays % note.

4arsennes "ham-er Pitch in =9<9 was A689E.9 with half steps at& %? or A flat 6 8<8.E, % 6 8B8.9, $? or % flat 6 ;EE.7, $ 6 ;8B.8, # 6 ;78.7, # flat or D? 6 ;B=.< Fome of !ach's organs were also higher pitched and cali-rated different than other standards of pitch, organs in :am-urg, Geip.ig 5 >eimar were at A6;AB and A6;7=. I ,el(e-e . c' cle *l" /$e0 !'(& /$%0le+)e. 1n other words the note " to him and " to us sound 0ery different and was not called that -y him or any of the early composers. Also they composed in their homes on "la0ichords, Hirginals 5 :arpsichords with e0idence of A687B:.. 'http&((www.den.ilwraight.com(pitch.htm+ Only a semitone lower than what 1'm suggesting if the Pythagorean % is lower than 789:. ' there is no evidence for 256Hz.+, then these facts fall e0en more in line with what 1'm suggesting. >hat appears is that different instruments were simply tuned to different pitches for 0arious preferences and reasons, in other words the main /ey of one organ may ha0e -een different in /ey name and understood -y those attending the instrument and playing it. One instrument may ha0e -een clearly /nown as " another clearly as $ etc. >hen playing pieces the musician would ha0e played the close or appro*imate position for the /ey written. Also many composers and players had a Chamber Pitch for the home (Chamber, Camera, Kammer means living room) or private settings and Choir Pitch Chorton in Germany and T ono Corista in !taly also "no#n as Ch rch Pitch A$%&'()* for p blic performance and large a diences+ All of these were understood at the time and only misunderstood later. People played in different pitches for different settings and deli-erate reasons. Also 1 always found it interesting that there was no ? for ! -ut goes straight to ", also no ? for # and goes straight to $ '! to " and # to $ are not really Iwhole stepsJ as sometimes descri-ed, they are mathematically calculated as half steps& * =.B8C;9<=+. The letters could easily ha0e e0ol0ed into !? or #? li/e all the other notes -ut didntK This was deli-erate -ecause that was used as a reference point when transposing /eys. T'e $%!e E (& ex c!l" # $%!e& 12 f*%3 C4 Also it is commonly /nown that ancient %ree/ diatonic mode and scale names are different to modern names due to odecachordon, which :einrich %larean pu-lished in !asle in =8;E. Original !ydian is now I1onianJ. Original "onian is now I4y*olydianJ. Phry#ian is now IDorianJ. Only Aeolean is the same, orian is now IPhrygianJ. My$olydian is now IGocrianJ and %yntolydian is now IGydianJ. &ith these e$amples it is evident that musical 'no(led#e and terminolo#y that came from the anti)ue (orld is a little different than (hat has been brou#ht to us throu#h conventional channels. &hat " believe happened (as certain literature (as preferred over others. *ncient 'no(led#e #ets tainted and chan#ed+ formed by opinion as (ell as preference ,ust li'e a #ame of telephone. -enturies of human taintin# as (ell as maybe i#norance or minimal

understandin# can leave its mar' ,ust li'e it has in many other sub,ects+ especially (estern reli#ion (hich musical theory+ history and 'no(led#e (as carried throu#h the centuries. Ye& !'e e$!(*e cl &&(c l 31&(c 0%*l+ (& 2l "($) 31&(c %f !'e e *l" c%32%&e*& ($ !'e 0*%$) 2(!c' $+ Ke"!