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Solfeggio Tones

Last Updated: 11 October 2013

Solfeggio is 'a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfge syllable (or "sol-fa syllable"). The seven syllables normally used for this practice in English-speaking countries are: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti (with a chromatic scale of ascending di, ri, fi, si, li and descending te, le, se, me, ra).'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solfeggio

In this particular context however we are referring to a specific Solfeggio sequence. This was determined to have been lost in the past, but 'discovered' by the Harvard University trained naturopath Dr Joseph Puleo and dental and public health researcher Dr Leonard G. Horowitz in 1999, and were documented in a co-authored new age book Healing codes for the Biological Apocalypse (1999). Horowitz claims that the frequencies are detailed in the Bible and that it is the real Bible Code, unlike the Da Vinci Code (which everyone knows is fictitious rubbish).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Horowitz

www.lenhorowitz.com

Professor Willi Apel, the German-American musicologist, claimed (according to the above book) that the sequence arose in a Mediaeval hymn to John the Baptist. Apel by this time was deceased. Others claim they were part of ancient Gregorian chants.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willi_Apel

Dr Rife, the creator of the controversial 'new age' Rife machine in the 1930s (an electromagnetic measurement device - see the links page in the Health Section, under Alternative Approaches for more information), used by many holistic medical practitioners today, was one of the first modern scientists to acknowledge the medical usefulness of 528Hz, one of the Solfeggio frequencies.

Various articles about the Solfeggio frequencies can be found at the links below.

http://www.redicecreations.com/specialreports/2006/01jan/solfeggio.html

www.lightwithin.com/SomaEnergetics/2About_Solfeggio.htm

The 6 Solfeggio frequencies are said to have distinct biological and emotional properties, and are used for physical and emotional healing. The descriptions are quoted and offer a 'new age' interpretation rather than a brainwave description. They are monotone frequencies and do not require the use of headphones. The 6 frequencies are:

1) 396 Hz - UT - 'Liberating Guilt and Fear'
2) 417 Hz - RE - 'Undoing Situations and Facilitating Change'
3) 528 Hz - MI - 'Transformation and Miracles (DNA Repair)'
4) 639 Hz - FA - 'Connecting/Relationships'
5) 741 Hz - SOL - 'Awakening Intuition'
6) 852 Hz - LA - 'Returning to Spiritual Order'

A Tibetan Bowl, for example, comes in a variety of sizes, and can produce various incremental frequencies, but a 140mm size can produce the MI frequency of 528 Hz (amongst other frequencies).

www.csounds.com/manual/html/MiscModalFreq.html

Some commentators have extended the scale to include 3 other 'Phantom Solfeggio' frequencies, through mathematical progression, 174 and 285 Hz at the bottom end, and at the top end, 963 Hz.

www.fadzlinordin.com/?p=133

Some have described the Solfeggio frequencies as a Chakra scale. The 6 frequencies corresponding to the first 6 of the 7 Chakras, the seventh being the musical note 'B' (494 Hz) which does not coincide with the above Solfeggio sequence. However, the comparison with the standard 'Do Re Mi' scale is incorrect.

http://powerofharmony.tripod.com/freezing_water.htm

The company Binaural-Beats.com created a 'Chakra Balancing' binaural beats-based CD which is reputed to utilise the following frequencies for the 7 Chakras, which do not correspond with the Solfeggio frequencies. These Whether these 7 sets of frequencies or pairs of frequencies are produced binaurally or as monotones, I am uncertain. I have tried out the Chakra Balancing CD, and experienced some success with it. It is 1 hour in duration. These 'Chakra frequencies' are also used by other manufacturers in CD format or indeed tuning fork sets. These 'Chakra' frequencies (i.e. not Solfeggio frequencies) are listed below for comparison purposes. Clearly the higher frequency cannot be achieved with binaural beats, as the difference in frequency would be too great, but they could be produced with flat tones or notes, whereas the lower frequencies quoted for each 'chakra' could be produced with binaural beats or similar.

www.binaural-beats.com/binaural-beats/chakra_balancing.aspx

1) 194.18 Hz and 8 Hz - Root (Muladhara)
2) 210.42 Hz and 9 Hz - Sacral (Swasthisthana)
3) 126.22 Hz and 10 Hz - Solar Plexus (Manipura)
4) 136.10 Hz and 10.5 Hz - Heart (Anahata)
5) 141.27 Hz and 12 Hz - Throat (Vishuddha)
6) 221.23 Hz and 13 Hz - Third Eye (Ajna)
7) 172.06 Hz and 15 Hz - Crown (Sahasrara)

When it comes to listening to the Solfeggio frequencies, one can either choose to listen to one particular frequency, according to requirements, or a musical composition including all 6 frequencies together. I have no idea what types of brainwaves that each frequency entrains or encourages. I am therefore unable to comment on whether all the frequencies are suitable or optimal for everyone, or indeed what frequencies a person should focus on or listen to more than others. Presumably some EEG-based research must exist on the subject. One could guess that they fall into the Alpha to Delta range. However, brainwaves are rarely this simple and a variety of brainwaves coexist in different parts of the brain at any one moment.

One can find/generate Solfeggio tones from a variety of sources. Some of these are listed below: