Gong tuning: 440 Hz, 432 Hz and the harmonics

We tune our gongs to A4 = 440 Hz by default, and we are open to any reference. Here is how tuning works, how we tune each size, and how to choose your note.

The reference: A4 = 440 Hz

Every tuning starts from a reference: the frequency given to the A above middle C, called A4. All the other notes are calculated from it. Today the international standard is A4 = 440 Hz, and it is the reference used by most instruments, tuners, recordings and ensembles in the world.

That is why we tune our gongs to A4 = 440 Hz by default. A 440 gong will sit naturally with most handpans, singing bowls, keyboards and guitars, and with almost any other instrument you meet in a session.

Why some people prefer 432 Hz

Some players and sound practitioners prefer to tune to A4 = 432 Hz. The difference is small but audible: every note sits about 32 cents lower, roughly a third of a semitone. People who choose 432 describe it in different ways. Some feel it sounds softer or warmer. Some connect it with historical tunings, since concert pitch varied widely from place to place before a common standard was adopted. Others are drawn to the numerical or symbolic ideas often associated with 432. And many simply need their gong to match instruments they already own that are tuned to 432.

We don't take sides. Every listener has their own relationship with sound, and the right reference is the one that serves your music and your practice.

Our approach: 440 by default, open to any tuning

We prefer to make our gongs at 440 Hz, but we are open to any reference: 432 Hz, or any other frequency you work with. Just tell us when you order. Whatever the reference, each gong is tuned with the same care.

How we tune each size

• 50 cm (20″) Handheld Gong: you choose the fundamental, anywhere from G2 to G3. We recommend A2, A♯2 or B2.
• 60 cm (24″) Core Gong: you choose the fundamental, anywhere from C2 to C3. For a deeper voice we recommend E2, F2, F♯2 or G2.
• 80 cm (32″) Low Gong: notes from A1 to C2.
• 100 cm (40″) Low Bass Gong: notes from C1 to C2, a full low octave.

Anything below C2 is made on our 80 cm and 1 metre gongs. Large gongs are tuned according to the instruments we have in the atelier at each moment: tell us the note you are looking for, and we will reply with what is available, or keep you on the waiting list.

This table shows every note you can choose, with its frequency at 440 Hz and at 432 Hz, and the sizes that offer it:

★ Our recommended notes for that size.

Not only the fundamental: the harmonics

The fundamental is the note you name, but a gong is much more than one note. Above it ring many partials: the overtones that give the instrument its colour, its shimmer and its depth. If they wander freely, the gong can sound blurred, as if several instruments were playing at once.

That is why we don't stop at the fundamental. Each gong goes through several rounds of tuning and heat treatment, and between them we listen, measure and shape. We work a great deal on the relationship between the fundamental and its harmonics, aligning them so that the gong speaks with one coherent, balanced voice, in most of our instruments. The heat treatment also helps stabilise the steel, so that the tuning holds over time. It is slow work, and it is the part we care about most.

How to choose your tuning in the cart

1. Add your gong to the cart from its page or from the collection.
2. In the cart, under Preferred / desired tuning, open the list and choose your note (from low to high). The notes we recommend for that size are marked ★ Recommended by us!
3. For the 80 and 100 cm gongs there is no list: write the note you are looking for in the Message field.
4. If you want a reference other than 440 Hz, for example 432 Hz, write it in the Message field too.
5. Send the request. We confirm the tuning, availability, lead time, shipping and VAT by email before any payment.

Not sure which note?

Play the notes in the Sound Library (you can change its A4 reference to 432 Hz), or use the free strobe tuner to measure your instruments: it suggests the notes that pair with them, and it also works at 432 Hz. You will find more help in how to choose a gong, or you can simply ask us.