Paiste Planetary Gong — Earth

Paiste tunes its Earth gong to 136.10 Hz. The tuning comes from Hans Cousto's tables. Cousto took the length of one Earth year, about 365.24 days, and doubled its frequency 32 times, until it became a tone people can hear. Paiste names the gong by its lowest tone, C#2 at 68.05 Hz. That is the same note one octave lower, which means half the frequency. If you measure an Earth gong, look for its lowest strong tone near 68 Hz. A gong sounds many tones at once. Cousto identifies this tone with OM. In planetary gong practice this gong is used in sound baths and for meditation.

1. Step 1. Start with the length of the cycle

   Earth solar orbit measured from vernal equinox to vernal equinox: 31,556,925.9747 seconds (365.2422 days).

2. Step 2. Turn it into a frequency

   One divided by that many seconds is 3.17 × 10⁻⁸ Hz. That is far too slow to hear.

3. Step 3. Double it 32 times

   Doubling a frequency raises it by one octave: the same note, higher. After 32 doublings it is 136.10 Hz.

4. Step 4. Name the note

   136.10 Hz is a C♯, 31 cents below standard tuning. A cent is one hundredth of the step between two neighboring piano keys. To play in tune with this tone, an instrument sets its A to 432.10 Hz instead of 440.

5. Step 5. Keep doubling and the number lands in the range of light

   42 more doublings give the frequency of light with a wavelength of 501 nm, which is blue-green. This is arithmetic. It pairs a tone with a color; it does not show that the two are connected.

The method is Hans Cousto’s. Planet gongs explained walks through it and says what it does and does not show.

Frequency

136.10 Hz

Wavelength in air (20 °C)

2.52 m

Nearest note

C♯3, 31 cents below standard tuning

Kind of statement

Instrument

Filed under

Instruments & gongs

• Paiste — Planet Gongs

  The maker’s own figures for each gong’s fundamental note.

  Paiste AG, Planet Gongs: product specifications.

  View source: Paiste — Planet Gongs

• Earth Year (Cosmic Octave)Derived136.10 Hz