417 Hz frequency
417 Hz carries the syllable RE and is promoted as the tone of change. It sits between G#4 and A4.
- SyllableRE
- Nearest noteG#4 +7¢
- Period2.40 ms
- Wavelength in air0.82 m
Because it sits in the range phone speakers handle well, 417 Hz is a good tone to play aloud in a room at low volume.
What 417 Hz is claimed to do
- Said to clear negative energy from a room or a person
- Associated with the sacral chakra
- Played during decluttering, journaling or new-start rituals
What the evidence says
There is no research on 417 Hz. “Negative energy” is not something a sound wave can measure or remove. As a mid-range tone it is easy to hear on any speaker, which makes it a practical choice for a room.
Where the number comes from
The modern solfeggio list traces to Joseph Puleo and Leonard Horowitz in the 1990s, who derived the numbers by digit-reduction of verse numbers in the Book of Numbers. It is not the medieval scale Guido d’Arezzo taught with the hymn “Ut queant laxis”, which named pitches, not fixed frequencies.
417 Hz: common questions
What is 417 Hz good for?
It is sold as a tone for change and clearing negativity. There is no evidence for those effects; people use it as a calm room tone.
Is 417 Hz safe?
Yes, at a comfortable volume. As with any audio, keep it below the level where you’d have to raise your voice.
What note is 417 Hz?
It falls between G#4 (415.3 Hz) and A4 (440 Hz), about 7 cents above G#4.