“There is geometry in the humming of the strings. There is music in the spacing of the spheres.”
— Pythagoras
Perfect Fifths
Want to experience the power of the perfect fifth for yourself? Hold these C&G tuning forks, one in each hand. Tap them on a semi-hard surface (your knee, a hockey puck) and bring one fork to each ear. Hold them until the sound fades out. Switch hands and repeat. Take a moment to breathe and notice how much calmer and centered you feel from just a moment before.
The Perfect Fifth is a musical interval that has the power to de-stress and rebalance us. In music, it forms the basis of harmony, resulting in a sound with perfect equilibrium.
The discovery of musical intervals for healing is credited to Pythagoras (569 - 475 B.C.E.). Pythagoras believed that everything, from planets to atoms, has its own sound and vibration which together form a universal harmony. He taught that musical intervals can heal and is considered the father of music therapy.
Listen to your favorite movie soundtrack and you can sense how intervals create tension, excitement, resolution. The first two notes of the Star Wars theme (perfect fifth) feel very different from Jaws (minor second).
Modern-day tuning fork pioneer John Beaulieu studied how each interval affects us on all levels - emotionally, mentally and physically - relating each interval to different elements. He writes about his discoveries in his book, Human Tuning: Sound Healing with Tuning Forks, which I highly recommend for anyone interested in this topic.
In my own practice, I combine different intervals to elicit different responses, bringing clients on a sound journey moving towards a desired outcome. While the journey is different every time, the Perfect Fifth is a staple in all of my sessions, as it reduces anxiety and creates a sense of relaxation, balance, and calm.
