minstrel: 440 amd a simi-tone down?

[david ball]

Ok, mostly be being lazy here, but perhaps it is of enough interest to 
others that I can be forgiven...

    I am making a few 6 hole transverse flutes. I am tuning them to an 
electronic tuner I have, and it works well. But I have read that in period 
the notes should not be based on 440hz, but a simi-tone lower. My question 
is, from a practical standpoint, should I tune my flutes to this? Could 
anyone else play along if I did?. Would the sound of it offend the modern 
ear? Is a simi-tone a certain percentage of the frequency of each note, or 
do I need a list of all notes in the period staff and tune each to that? And 
does anyone know why it changed in the first place?
Information gratefully accepted

David

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