What Are Wind Chimes?
Wind chimes are musical decorations dating back to prehistoric times. There are a myriad of ways of build them. Wind chimes can be made from varying materials and use different mechanisms to produce their distinctive sound. There are three basic wind chime mechanisms, each of which produces sound when it is struck by the wind. Although wind chimes can be tuned to produce notes on the diatonic scale, they are not technically considered a musical instrument. Ordinary wind chimes are not to be confused with the mark tee, a musical instrument constructed similarly to wind chimes.
-
Materials
-
The materials used to construct wind chimes include bamboo, ceramic, glass, metal, seashells and wood. Since they produce sound through resonance, it is possible to build wind chimes from any material that produces sound when struck.
Simple Wind Chimes
-
There are three basic wind chime mechanisms, each of which produces sound when struck by wind. The first kind consists of a cluster of light, resonant objects, such as metal tubes, which knock together in the wind to produce sound.
Clapper Wind Chimes
-
The second kind works the same way, but adds a clapper mechanism in the center of the chimes that strikes the chimes around it. The clapper is attached to a flat piece to help it catch the wind.
Bell Wind Chimes
-
The third kind of wind chimes consist of an ordinary bell with a specially-built clapper. The clapper is attached to a flat piece designed to increase wind resistance,
-
References & Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
