The Selection of 440HZ

vibeman · 11-19-2016, 10:47 AM

OK, so here's today's NERD question: Does anyone know what the basis was for selecting 440HZ as A4? Is it a complete coincidence that the frequencies of all the octaves of the A note (in Hertz) perfectly match the values for yards in a mile?? eg:

A3 220 Eighth Mile
A4 440 Quarter Mile
A5 880 Half Mile
A6 1760 Mile

These distances are old friends to anyone who ran track. It's just odd that almost all the other notes are not whole numbers. For instance, good old middle C is 261.63 HZ. What sage way back in the old days picked 440 for A4, and why??

I know - Get a life.

**Frownland** · 11-19-2016, 11:05 AM

I'm 99% positive that it was conceived before the imperial system, so yes it is probably a coincidence.

11-19-2016, 10:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
vibeman Groupie Join Date: Nov 2016 Posts: 0	The Selection of 440HZ OK, so here's today's NERD question: Does anyone know what the basis was for selecting 440HZ as A4? Is it a complete coincidence that the frequencies of all the octaves of the A note (in Hertz) perfectly match the values for yards in a mile?? eg: A3 220 Eighth Mile A4 440 Quarter Mile A5 880 Half Mile A6 1760 Mile These distances are old friends to anyone who ran track. It's just odd that almost all the other notes are not whole numbers. For instance, good old middle C is 261.63 HZ. What sage way back in the old days picked 440 for A4, and why?? I know - Get a life.

11-19-2016, 11:05 AM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	I'm 99% positive that it was conceived before the imperial system, so yes it is probably a coincidence. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x