396 Hz Solfeggio Frequency: Letting Go of Fear and Tension
Pure tone at 396 Hz, solfeggio scale
396 Hz is the first tone of the original six, traditionally paired with letting go of fear and guilt. It is a low-mid tone with real presence, and it is the solfeggio frequency our listeners reach for on anxious evenings, usually under brown noise or rain.
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What 396 Hz is
396 Hz is the first of the six original solfeggio tones, the ones Puleo and Horowitz paired with the medieval syllables in 1999. It sits just below G4, a clear low-mid pitch that is easy to hear but not bright. In Mindael it is a pure tone generated at exactly 396 Hz.
What it is used for
The traditional pairing is release: letting go of fear and guilt. Whatever you make of the tradition, the use case holds up. On an anxious evening the problem is usually a mind that will not settle on anything, and a single steady pitch gives it something to settle on that is not a thought. Combined with a longer exhale, that is most of what a calming sound can do, and our relaxing sounds page builds a fifteen minute routine around exactly this idea.
The research on tones so far concerns 528 Hz and 432 Hz rather than 396 Hz; we describe those studies on the guide linked below and do not claim more for this tone than it has.
How to listen
Low, under brown noise or rain, for fifteen to twenty minutes. If you have earbuds, a theta 6 Hz beat underneath gives the session a brain-rhythm anchor as well. Stay with the same tone for a week before judging it; familiarity is where the settling effect comes from.
The full chart of nine tones, the history and the studies are in our guide to solfeggio frequencies.
One steady thing to hold on to.
On an evening when everything feels loud, a single pitch under rain is a surprisingly good anchor. Mindael generates 396 Hz at exactly 396 Hz, with brown noise, rain and a theta beat to put around it and a short breathing guide if you want one. Download it and give it fifteen minutes.
- All nine solfeggio tones, pitch-accurate
- Layer 396 Hz under brown noise or a theta beat
- Breathing guide and timer, works offline
Free · No account needed · Works offline Frequently asked questions
What is 396 Hz used for?
In the solfeggio tradition, releasing fear and guilt. Our listeners use it on anxious evenings, as a steady tone under brown noise or rain while they slow their breathing.
What does 396 Hz sound like?
A clear, low-mid tone just below the G above middle C. More present than 174 or 285 Hz, so it works best at a low volume under a broadband sound.
Does 396 Hz help with anxiety?
There is no study on 396 Hz specifically; the research on tones and tuning so far concerns 528 Hz and 432 Hz, and it points toward calm. What 396 Hz reliably does is give a racing mind one steady thing to rest on, which, with slow breathing, is most of what a calming sound can do.