What does tuning to 440 mean?

[ApeDosMil]

What if I tuned to another frequency, what would that do to the overall tuning? Would it essentially uptune or downtune to another tuning like DGCFAD or something?

[Soap]

Huh, just spray it down with WD-40 and check the spark plug prices down at BR5-49...

440?
Its reffered to as "standard" tuning and many refer to as A440.
Most tuner have it (440) as the default tuning.
Many tune down a half step which is A flat/4 fret or G sharp/4 fret.
Depending on the tuner one can program/tweak various tunings or have them already entered in and ready to go. Even most "pitch/tuning whistle" (I have one and find it very useful in a pinch) are pitched at A440.

[micha]

440 is the frequency measured in hz. so the wave repeats 440 times a second.
I dunno, when this happened, but anyway, somehow folks agreed to tune their A to 440hz. it's called chamber-tone (freely-translated from the german word I know... ).
it used to be a little higher in the past, changed once in a while, but 440 is what's up to date.
it's just great so you don't have to tune to another frequency once you play with others or play along to music you like.
if you tuned to 443hz for example you'd sound just horrible jamming to your favourite songs.
pianos are often tuned to other frequencies, since sometimes they just don't sound best at 440 or won't reach the tension to get the 440 A (often with older instruments), but usually all instruments are tuned to this standart tone.
just makes things easier.

if you want to tune a frequency that gives you another effective tuning, you'd have to go quite a few hz up or downwards. please don't ask me what a D tuning would be, I just know that an octave always doubles the frequency if you go upwards. so if you play the A on second fret G-string it should be around 880hz.
sure I could calculate now what a D tuning would be, but I'm afraid I'm too 3am for that...

[Bengal65]

440 is the frequency measured in hz. so the wave repeats 440 times a second.
I dunno, when this happened, but anyway, somehow folks agreed to tune their A to 440hz. it's called chamber-tone (freely-translated from the german word I know... ).
it used to be a little higher in the past, changed once in a while, but 440 is what's up to date.
it's just great so you don't have to tune to another frequency once you play with others or play along to music you like.
if you tuned to 443hz for example you'd sound just horrible jamming to your favourite songs.
pianos are often tuned to other frequencies, since sometimes they just don't sound best at 440 or won't reach the tension to get the 440 A (often with older instruments), but usually all instruments are tuned to this standart tone.
just makes things easier.

if you want to tune a frequency that gives you another effective tuning, you'd have to go quite a few hz up or downwards. please don't ask me what a D tuning would be, I just know that an octave always doubles the frequency if you go upwards. so if you play the A on second fret G-string it should be around 880hz.
sure I could calculate now what a D tuning would be, but I'm afraid I'm too 3am for that...

Micha, We need you here! Good stuff, thanks for posting this information

[Ace]

440 is the frequency measured in hz. so the wave repeats 440 times a second.
I dunno, when this happened, but anyway, somehow folks agreed to tune their A to 440hz. it's called chamber-tone (freely-translated from the german word I know... ).
it used to be a little higher in the past, changed once in a while, but 440 is what's up to date.
it's just great so you don't have to tune to another frequency once you play with others or play along to music you like.
if you tuned to 443hz for example you'd sound just horrible jamming to your favourite songs.
pianos are often tuned to other frequencies, since sometimes they just don't sound best at 440 or won't reach the tension to get the 440 A (often with older instruments), but usually all instruments are tuned to this standart tone.
just makes things easier.

if you want to tune a frequency that gives you another effective tuning, you'd have to go quite a few hz up or downwards. please don't ask me what a D tuning would be, I just know that an octave always doubles the frequency if you go upwards. so if you play the A on second fret G-string it should be around 880hz.
sure I could calculate now what a D tuning would be, but I'm afraid I'm too 3am for that...

We have a winner!!! A lot of musicians that I know incorrectly refer to standard guitar tuning as "440" when in fact they mean EADGBE. You can tune your individual strings however you want and still be in A=440. You can also change your tuner to A=443 and just about never be in tune with anyone...

[thetroy]

This is mostly correct, except in the past instruments were tuned LOWER not higher. If I remember right, most people around say Bach's time used something like A=415hz. Modern orchestras have been tuning higher and higher, I think there's even one now that tunes to like A=470hz.

[slash-ed]

So Bach rocked out in half step down tuning way before the rock world discovered it, eh?

[micha]

bach was really badass...

This is mostly correct, except in the past instruments were tuned LOWER not higher. If I remember right, most people around say Bach's time used something like A=415hz. Modern orchestras have been tuning higher and higher, I think there's even one now that tunes to like A=470hz.

yeah agreed. I had the 19th century in mind, they even went up to ~490hz there.
italy still tunes pretty high from what I've heard...

what is your phone-tone like btw?
over here, the free-sign was a 440hz in the past, but they somehow changed it since all this phone shit is in private hands now...
I wonder why they did that, pretty nice service for musicians IMO, and it won't hurt anyone if it still would be at 440...

[thetroy]

It's been awhile since I only use my cell phone now, but I think it's lower than 440

[Wayniac]

I think D is 430, as Eflat is 435...

[Chad]

I think D is 430, as Eflat is 435...

With A @ 440, D is 293.7 and Eb is 311.1.

If Bach was indeed tuning to 415, that would be comparable to tuning down a half step.

[thetroy]

That would make sense as I've often heard tuning down a half step called "Baroque tuning"

[24seven]

440 - concert pitch.
When i got my piano it was tuned down in case the strings snapped so it had a very blues tone, eventually i took the risk and tuned it up to concert pitch!

[stevieb91]

"Dial tone" (as it is called here) on our phone is F#(down 1 1/2 steps from 440 A),and I use that when no other reference tone is handy.Really makes for some fun with drummers!!!!

[Newc]

I thought A=445 was Concert Pitch - slightly higher tuning so the lower notes didn't flub out when it got to the nosebleeds.