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Music tuned to 432 Hz is more calming than music tuned to 440 Hz.

▲ C · Preliminary/mixed evidence

Claim reviewed: Music tuned to 432 Hz is more calming than music tuned to 440 Hz.

What do we know?

Small studies reported a borderline drop in heart rate with 432 Hz (33 people) and, in cancer patients with a live monochord, slightly larger drops in heart rate and pulse-wave velocity than with 443 Hz (43 people). In a trial with 162 students in Türkiye, 432 Hz music raised one salivary biomarker (GRP78), which is not a measure of calm.

What don't we know?

Results are inconsistent: in emergency staff, anxiety also fell without music and groups were not compared with each other; in kickboxers, 440 Hz music was linked to better performance than 432 Hz; in students, attention-test scores did not differ between groups. Studies are small and mostly pilots.

Wording we use in the app: There are small, inconsistent preliminary findings; we offer 432 Hz as a tuning preference.

Sources (5)

  1. Calamassi ve Pomponi 2019 · Pilot study · 33 participants

    In 33 healthy volunteers, music tuned to 432 Hz was associated with a borderline-significant (p = 0.05) larger drop in heart rate than 440 Hz; trends in blood pressure and breathing rate were not significant. The authors call for larger randomized studies.

    432 Hz vs 440 Hz: mean heart rate −4.79 bpm (p = 0.05, borderline)

    Erratum published: Explore (NY) 2020;16(1):8, PMID 32113613.

    Calamassi D, Pomponi GP. Music Tuned to 440 Hz Versus 432 Hz and the Health Effects: A Double-blind Cross-over Pilot Study. Explore (NY). 2019;15(4):283-290. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2019.04.001 PMID 31031095 Go to source

  2. Calamassi ve ark. 2022 · Pilot study · 54 participants

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, 54 emergency staff compared 440 Hz music, 432 Hz music and a break without music. State anxiety fell in all three groups, even without music; drops in breathing rate and systolic blood pressure appeared only in the 432 Hz group. Groups were compared only before and after within themselves, not with each other.

    Calamassi D, Li Vigni ML, Fumagalli C, Gheri F, Pomponi GP, Bambi S. The Listening to music tuned to 440 Hz versus 432 Hz to reduce anxiety and stress in emergency nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a double-blind, randomized controlled pilot study. Acta Biomed. 2022;93(S2):e2022149. doi:10.23750/abm.v93iS2.12915 PMID 35545982 Go to source

  3. Hohneck ve ark. 2025 · Randomised controlled trial · 43 participants

    In 43 cancer patients, a 15-minute live monochord session tuned to 432 Hz was compared with 443 Hz. Both lowered heart rate and brought similar positive changes in emotional well-being, fatigue, anxiety and stress scores; the drops in heart rate and pulse-wave velocity were larger with 432 Hz, while other measures did not differ.

    Heart-rate change −3 (432 Hz) vs −1 bpm (443 Hz), p = 0.04

    Hohneck A, Rodríguez ÁM, Weingärtner S, Merx K, Sarodnick F, von Gagern F, et al. Differential effects of sound interventions tuned to 432 Hz or 443 Hz on cardiovascular parameters in cancer patients: a randomized cross-over trial. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025;25(1):18. doi:10.1186/s12906-025-04758-5 PMID 39844155 Go to source

  4. Jebabli ve ark. 2025 · Randomised controlled trial · 28 participants

    In 28 kickboxers, warming up with music at about 440 Hz was associated with better speed-test performance and lower perceived exertion than music at 432 Hz; both beat no music.

    Jebabli N, Boujabli M, Khlifi M, Ouerghi N, Bouassida A, Ben Abderrahman A, et al. Effects of 440-Hz vs. 432-Hz preferred music frequencies, during warm-up, on intermittent anaerobic speed test performance in men and women kickboxers: a double-blind crossover study. PeerJ. 2025;13:e19084. doi:10.7717/peerj.19084 PMID 40061232 Go to source

  5. Bozok ve ark. 2026 · Randomised controlled trial · 162 participants

    162 healthy university students under exam stress were randomized to no music, 528 Hz music or 432 Hz music. 528 Hz music raised salivary BDNF and CREB, and 432 Hz music raised GRP78; Stroop attention-test performance did not differ between groups.

    528 Hz versus control: higher salivary BDNF and CREB (p < 0.05); GRP78 elevated in the 432 Hz group (p < 0.05); no between-group Stroop difference

    The reported registration number is not in ClinicalTrials.gov format; the registration could not be confirmed.

    Bozok ÜG, Özcan GB, Bayraktar B, Özen D. Acute Music-Frequency Exposure Modulates Salivary Stress and Neurotrophic Markers in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Brain Behav. 2026;16(5):e71452. doi:10.1002/brb3.71452 PMID 42043979 Go to source

Last reviewed: 3 October 2026 · Next review: 3 April 2027

Evidence methodology