The Musical Notes of the Spine
By Javier Ramon Brito
• The correspondences between the Vertebrae, the Body Organs and the 12 Musical Notes
The human spine, or vertebral column, consists of 33 vertebrae that are categorized into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal. Each vertebra is associated with specific organs and bodily functions through the spinal nerves that emerge from the spinal cord.
The concept of spinal nerves corresponding to specific organs and bodily functions is often attributed to various practitioners of alternative medicine, particularly those in chiropractic and osteopathy. One key figure in this field was Daniel David Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, who, in the late 19th century, emphasized the relationship between spinal health and overall bodily function.
Additionally, the work of early anatomists and physiologists laid the groundwork for understanding how the nervous system connects to different body parts. While there isn't a single discovery per se, the integration of these ideas has developed over time through contributions from various medical and anatomical fields.
On the other hand, Dr. June Leslie Wieder's discovery of the association between musical notes and the vertebrae of the spine emerged from her work in both music and health. She explored how specific frequencies of sound could resonate with different parts of the body, particularly the spine.
Dr. Wieder developed a system where each vertebra corresponds to a musical note, based on the idea that sound can influence physical and emotional well-being. This connection highlights the vibrational aspects of music and its potential therapeutic effects.
Her work combines elements of music therapy, chiropractic practices, and holistic health, aiming to promote healing and balance in the body through sound. Using tuning forks and Kinesiology, she discovered that the 12 bones of each spinal curve are in direct relation to the 12 semitones of the first musical octave below middle C, which in the 440 Hz scale has a frequency range of 130.81 Hz to 233.08 Hz.
Her work is documented and detailed in her book “Song of The Spine” (Booksurge Publishing LLC, North Charleston, USA, 2004). This innovative approach has contributed to alternative therapies, encouraging a deeper understanding of the interplay between music and physical health.
It is important to observe that, in her book, Dr. Wieder makes clear that the modern tuning forks she used were based on the international standard where middle A is defined as 440 Hz, so the frequencies discovered are not absolute because the muscle tests she practiced revealed that the effective frequencies may be as much as 4 or 5 Hz less than those found using the 440 Hz tuning forks (Wieder, op.cit., page 68).
Taking into account those observations and for holistic healing purposes, I think it would be most interesting to use the 432 Hz Pythagorean scale instead of the 440 Hz Equal Temperament Scale for the frequencies of each note.
Now, if we combine the 3 concepts, namely: 1) the known associations of each vertebra to body organs, 2) the association of those vertebrae to the musical notes (as discovered by Dr. Wieder) and 3) the Pythagorean Scale in 432 Hz, we get the following interesting and revealing chart:
The Vertebrae, Body Organs, and Musical Notes
| Vertebra | Body Organ | Musical Note in the 432 Hz Scale |
|---|---|---|
| C1 (Atlas) | Brain - Head - Inner and Middle Ears | C 128 Hz |
| C2 | Eyes - Auditory Nerves - Sinuses - Tongue | D 144 Hz |
| C3 | Teeth - Cheeks - Outer Ears | E 160 Hz |
| C4 | Throat - Mouth- Nose - Lips - Eustachian Tubes | F 172 Hz |
| C5 | Pharynx - Vocal cords | G 192 Hz |
| C6 | Shoulders - Neck - Tonsils | A 216 Hz |
| C7 | Thyroid - Arms - Elbows | B 240 Hz |
| T1 | Trachea - Esophagus - Lower Arms - Fingers | C 128 Hz |
| T2 | Heart | D 144 Hz |
| T3 | Lungs - Chest - Breast | E 160 Hz |
| T4 | Gallbladder | F 172 Hz |
| T5 | Liver - Blood Circulation - Solar Plexus | G 192 Hz |
| T6 | Stomach | A 216 Hz |
| T7 | Pancreas - Duodenum | B 240 Hz |
| T8 | Spleen | C# 136 Hz |
| T9 | Adrenal Glands | D# 152 Hz |
| T10 | Kidneys | F# 180 Hz |
| T11 | Ureters | G# 204 Hz |
| T12 | Small Intestines - Lymph Circulation | A# 228 Hz |
| L1 | Large Intestine - Inguinal region | C# 136 Hz |
| L2 | Abdomen - Appendix - Upper Legs | D# 152 Hz |
| L3 | Bladder - Sex Organs - Knees | F# 180 Hz |
| L4 | Sciatic Nerves - Prostate Gland | G# 204 Hz |
| L5 | Lower Legs - Feet | A# 228 Hz |
This chart is a combination of 1) The known associations of spinal nerves with body organs; 2) Dr. June Leslie Wieder´s correspondences of musical notes with the vertebrae of the human spine, and 3) The Pythagorean Scale in 432 Hz.
To end this blog post, I am happy to share with you a sound bath with Tibetan Bowls tuned to 432 Hz. It is best when listened to with headphones, good speakers or earbuds. Use it everyday for peace, relaxation, meditation, sound healing and energy balancing. It includes ALL music notes, from C to B and from C# to A#, in an ascending order. All Tibetan Bowl sounds are tuned precisely to 432 Hz.