• WELCOME to the home of COSMIC OCTAVE
  • WELCOME to the home of COSMIC OCTAVE

About tuning forks

John Shore, lute player in G. F. Handel's orchestra, invented the tuning fork in 1711 to tune singing and musical instruments to a common tone frequency. Since Hans Cousto discovered the Cosmic Octave in 1978, we have been using them to tune music - or ourselves in the case of sonopuncture - to planetary frequencies.

On this page

  • The tuning fork models S, Splus, L and Lplus: features and size comparison
  • Vibrational behavior: How a tuning fork vibrates
  • Application: Holding and striking the tuning fork
  • Material the tuning forks are made of
  • Tuning data: planets, tones, colors, meters

The tuning fork models S, Splus, L and Lplus

For all tuning tones, tuning forks are available in 'Standard' and 'Large' versions, both plus or without grip pad.

Tuning fork S

  • Special steel, nickel-plated *)
  • Miror-smooth surface
  • Rounded edges
  • Fork arms 4 x 8 mm / 0.157 x 0.315''
  • Stem with thickened end
  • Frequency number stamped on the stem

Tuning fork L

  • Special steel, nickel-plated *)
  • Fine matt surface
  • Phase running along the edges
  • Fork arms 5 x 8 mm / 0.2 x 0.315''
  • Longer stem
  • One fork arm is clearly labeled with the frequency number and name.

Tuning fork Splus Differences to the S model

  • Longer handle with grip pad made of cork-filled elastomer
  • One fork arm is clearly labeled with the frequency number and name.

Tuning fork Lplus Difference to the L model

  • Handle with grip pad made of cork-filled elastomer

*) About nickel allergies

An electroplated nickel layer guarantees that the tuning forks do not rust. We have not received any reports of nickel allergies. Reactions to nickel only occur in allergy sufferers if they come into contact with the skin over a longer period of time, e.g. when wearing earrings. With tuning fork applications, contact is relatively brief. Our Splus and Lplus models have a grip pad anyway, so there is no contact with the skin when holding them. Of course, there is also no direct contact if there is fabric between the skin of the person being treated and the tuning fork.

Size comparison

The illustration shows the size ratios of the tuning forks at 136.10 Hz. The S and Splus models have the same fork arms at the same frequency. The fork arms of the L models are longer and more massive than those of the S models at the same frequency, which is why they fade away longer after being struck. The following applies to all models: the higher the tuning frequency, the shorter the fork arms.

Vibration behavior: how a tuning fork vibrates

When a tuning fork is struck, both arms swing back and forth. The air between the arms is alternately compressed and diluted. This creates sound waves. The vibration of the fork arms is transferred into an up and down movement of the tuning fork stem via the curvature that connects both fork arms. When the stem is placed on the body, the vibration can be clearly felt. The body vibrates at the same frequency.

CC BY-SA 4.0bSudoer41 (Picture part)

Application: holding and striking the tuning fork

To strike the tuning fork, hold the shaft with your thumb, forefinger and middle finger and strike the end of one arm of the fork, with a little swing from the wrist, against an object that should not be too hard, otherwise a whistling sound will quietly emerge. The tuning fork can be struck on the ball of the other hand - or on an object that is about as soft as a handball. A small rolled-up terry towel, tied at both ends with two strings, is ideal. The towel is also suitable for transporting the tuning forks.

Material the tuning forks are made of

The tuning forks in the Planetware store are made of special high-quality steel alloys, which are characterized by particularly good vibration properties.

Stainless steel would be too rigid and aluminum has a high thermal conductivity. When holding the tuning fork, the body heat would cause the aluminum to expand and the fork arms to become slightly longer, resulting in a lower tuning fork frequency.

Tuning data: planets, tones, colors, meters

The following tuning data table shows all 25 tuning frequencies of the Planetware delivery program in the frequency column.

PLANETS: cycle and period (basis of the tone frequency)

TONES: frequency, octave (number of octaves, starting from the cycle), tone (note name), a1 - Diff 440 Hz (corresponding concert pitch a and its cent deviation from the 440 Hz tuning (a semitone has 100 cent, the values range from -50 to +50 cent)

COLOR: the corresponding color in the octave range based on frequency

METERS: tempo (the octave-analogous musical tempo), octaves (starting from the cycle), pendulum (a pendulum of the specified length swings back and forth at the specified tempo)

Tuning data