THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES

A MODERN SYNTHESIS
BY MILO DUKE
This article presents a synthesis of the ancient Pythagorean idea of the Music of the Spheres, Tesla's idea of a planetary electromagnetic standing wave, and modern biometric research into vibration patterns in the human body. The result is a new musical scale harmonically attuned to the human body, the Earth, and the other bodies in our Solar System.

For Pythagoras, the Music of the Spheres consisted of the sounds emitted by enormous crystal spheres that nested inside each other, thereby forming the universe. The Earth was located at the center of this structure, and the Sun, the Moon, the other planets, and the stars were located on separate spheres. We know that this scheme is incorrect, but the idea of a celestial harmony became embedded in our culture. In fact, Keppler's discovery of the elliptical orbits of the planets grew out of his search for the Music of the Spheres. In his version, the music was derived from chords that cut across the planetary orbits that he was the first to accurately calculate. The notion of a universal harmony is not unique to our culture. The Hindu belief that the mantra OM is the fundamental vibratory  pattern of the universe is very similar. Our current understanding of the universe as a gigantic complex of interrelated electromagnetic phenomena, which are characterized by many vibratory frequencies, has basic conceptual elements in common with pre-scientific ideas.

Pythagoras accomplished much more than imagining an unrealistic model of the universe -- he was the first to calculate the harmonic ratios that are the basis of western music. These harmonic ratios -- the octave, the fifth, the fourth, the major and minor thirds, and the major and minor seconds -- are fundamental to the work presented in this article.
Table I: Pythagoras' Harmonic Ratios

Interval			Ratio
Octave				2:1
Fifth				3:2
Fourth				4:3
Major Third			5:4
Minor Third			6:5
Major Second			9:8
Minor Second			16:15
The idea of a planetary standing wave was first proposed by Tesla as a way to broadcast electric power. His idea was to propagate an electromagnetic wave the wavelength of which was the same distance as the circumference of the Earth. The wave would require very little energy to maintain, and methods could be devised to extract energy from the "broadcast power". For the purpose of this article, I have used Tesla's idea to derive the following formula for the frequency of planetary vibration:
        c
  F  = ---
        D
where

F = Planetary Frequency in cycles per second
c = Speed of light in kilometers per second
D = Planetary circumference in kilometers

Using this equation and the diameters of the Sun and planets given in Table II, I have calculated the resulting planetary frequencies.
 Table II: Planetary Frequencies

 

		Equatorial	   	Polar	  	Circumference	  	Planetary 
		Diameter		Diameter				Frequency (cps)

Sun	   	1,392,530	     	1,395,530	4,374,772.2	       	.068527   
Mercury  	3,476	          	3,476	      	15,324.724  	       	19.562636  
Venus	   	12,104	          	12,104	      	38,025.926 	     	7.883884 
Earth	   	12,756	          	12,714	      	40,074.249 	     	7.48091 
Mars	   	6,794	          	6,759	      	21,344.03 	       	14.045707 
Jupiter		142,800	       		134,200	   	435,111.6 	       	.6890 
Saturn		120,000	       		108,000	   	358,142.4 	        .8370748 
Uranus		518,000	       		49,000	      	158,336.64         	1.893383 
Neptune		49,500	         	47,400		152,210.52 		1.969587 
Pluto		2,400			3,000		7539.84 [eq.] 		39.76105 
							8482.32 [av.]		35.34
  
Speed of Light = 299,792.458 km/sec
pi = 3.1416
Circumference = 
  pi x Diameter


  For the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, 
  Earth, and Mars) I used the equatorial circumference, which is usually only 
  slightly larger than the polar circumference. Because the gas giants tend to 
  have an oblate spheroid shape, I used an average of their equatorial and polar 
  circumferences. In the case of Pluto, which seems to have an erratic shape 
  unlike the other terrestrial planets, I used both equatorial and average 
  circumferences in my calculations. Pluto may actually be an escaped moon or a 
  pair of tightly-orbiting comets, which would help to explain its erratic 
  shape.

  Biometric research has identified vibratory patterns in the 
  human body that range from 6.8 cps to 7.5 cps. For the purposes of this 
  article, the most important of these is the 7 cps vibration produced in the 
  skeleton by the ejection of blood from the heart into the aorta. A frequency 
  of 7 cps raised by six octaves is 448 cps, which would be a slightly sharp A 
  in the modern scale, where Concert A is 440 cps. There is an historical trend 
  to raise the pitch of western music. The Rosicrucians' Concert A was 427 cps, 
  Baroque Concert A was 432 cps, and Modern Concert A was raised to 440 cps in 
  the nineteenth century. 

  I believe that Concert A should be raised 
  again to 448 cps, which would put our music in harmony with one of the major 
  vibrations of our bodies. The new musical scale presented in Table III, 
  calculated using Pythagorean harmonic ratios from a starting point of A = 448 
  cps, shows some interesting congruencies with the planetary frequencies. 
  Earth's planetary frequency raised six octaves is 478.77824 cps and A# in the 
  new scale is 478.40625. The frequency of Venus raised six octaves is 504.56856 
  cps and B on the new scale is 504 cps The Martian frequency raised six octaves 
  is 898.9252 and the A one octave up from the new Concert A is 896 cps. The 
  planetary frequency of Jupiter raised six octaves is 44.096 cps which compares 
  to F on the new scale at 44.8 cps. The frequency of Saturn raised six octaves 
  is 53.572784 cps and the corresponding G# on the new scale is 53.156.25 cps. 
  The frequency of Uranus raised six octaves is 121.17654 cps and the 
  corresponding A# on the new scale is 119.60156 cps. Neptune's frequency raised 
  six octaves is 126.05175 and the corresponding B on the new scale is 126 
  cps.

  The Sun, Mercury, and Pluto do not fit quite so neatly into the 
  new scale. The frequency of the Sun raised six octaves is only 4.3857536 cps, 
  far below the human auditory range -- however, when raised nine octaves to 
  35.086028 cps it compares to C# on the new scale at 35.4375 cps, and this is 
  where I have placed it. Mercury's frequency raised six octaves is 1252.0086 
  cps which does not come very close to the D# at 1275.75 cps on the new scale. 
  When Mercury's frequency is raised only one octave to 39.12527 cps it comes 
  close to D# on the new scale at 39.867187 cps -- nevertheless, Mercury should 
  be represented in the new scale at 1275.75 cps. Pluto, because of its 
  irregular shape, has two planetary frequencies calculated for it; one based on 
  the planet's equatorial circumference at 39.761055 cps, and one based on an 
  average circumference at 35.34316 cps. Both of these frequencies fall within 
  the human auditory range and correspond well to D# at 39.867187 cps and C# at 
  35.4375 cps on the new scale. However, when both frequencies are raised six 
  octaves to 2551.4998 cps and 2504.0172 cps respectively, only the frequency 
  based on Pluto's equatorial circumference is close to the D# at 2551.5 cps on 
  the new scale. Therefore, Pluto should be represented by the D# at 2551.5 cps 
  even though the shape of the planet is irregular.

  This article has shown some interesting harmonic relationships between the 
  human body and the bodies in our Solar System. A new musical scale based on 
  a fundamental vibration in human bodies contains notes that correspond very 
  closely to frequencies generated from the circumferences of the Sun and the planets. 
  There is an historic trend to raise the frequencies of our musical scale. The 
  new scale proposed in this article should be adopted because it is in line 
  with this trend, because it is in harmony with our bodies, and because it 
  reflects a fundamental harmonic pattern that is evident in the universe. It is 
  the new Music of the Spheres.

  Commentary and discussion about this article are welcome and can be addressed to 
  milo@miloduke.com
	
Table III: New Musical Scale, based on A = 448 cps 
(All frequencies in cycles per second.)

C  33.6 				F  179.2 			A# 956.81
C# 35.437 [Sun=35.086] 			F# 189 				B  1,008
D  37.8 				G  201.6 			C  1,075.2
D# 39.87 [Mercury 1=39.12527] 		G# 212.63 			C# 1,134
E  42 					A  224 				D  1,209.6
F  44.8 [Jupiter=44.096] 		A# 239.2 			D# 1275.75 [Mercury 2=1252]
F# 47.25 				B  252 				E  1,344
G  50.4     				C  268.8 [middle C] 		F  1,433.6
G# 53.16 [Saturn=53.572784] 		C# 283.5 			F# 1,512
A  56 					D  302.4 			G  1,612.8							
A# 59.8 				D# 318.94 			G# 1,701
B  63 					E  336 				A  1,792
C  67.2 				F  358.4 			A# 1,913.63
C# 70.88 				F# 378 				B  2,016
D  75.6 				G  403.2 			C  2,150.4
D# 79.73 				G# 425.25 			C# 2,268
E  84 					A  448 [Concert A] 		D  2,419.2
F  89.6 				A# 478.406 [Earth=478.778]	D# 2551.5 [Pluto=2551.4998]
F# 94.5 				B  504 [Venus=504.568] 		E  2,688
G  100.8 				C  537.6 			F  2,867.2
G# 106.31 				C# 567 				F# 3,024
A  112 					D  604.8 			G  3,225.6
A# 119.602 [Uranus=121.176] 		D# 637.88 			G# 3,402
B  126 [Neptune=126.054] 		E  672 				A  3,584
C  134.4 				F  716.8 			A# 3,827.25
C# 141.75 				F# 756 				B  4,032
D  151.2           			G  806.4 			C  4,300.8
D# 159.47 				G# 850.5 
E  168 					A  896 [Mars=898.9252]


 

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