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Wind chimes are also known as Aeolian chimes. They are hollow or solid metal, plastic or wooden tubes which are usually hung on the exterior of a building. When played by the wind, the chimes will either strike each other or any metal, wood or rubber balls which may be hung in the center. With each tube a different length, the chimes will give out a random musical mix of jangle, which can be bright or solemn in tone. In Feng Shui practice, wind chimes are used to balance the effects of the elements in the surroundings.
The sound produced by the wind chime really depends on the element the chimes are made of, their sizes and solidity. To some extent, how the wind chimes are hung will also affect its sound. Metal wind chimes tend to make tin-like sounds and those with large metal tubes will give out a deeper, more resonant pitch than the one with little tubes. Metal tubes which are more solid and thicker will also give out a different sound than hollow ones. Meanwhile, wooden wind chimes sound duller than metal ones but tend to sound more culturally musical. They are also more often ethnically decorated as well.
Large wind chimes are often used in larger homes and built-up areas for aesthetic purposes. Wind chimes of this sort are normally used to determine wind directions. If a person wanted to monitor wind coming from a certain direction, a large wind chime would be placed in that sector. Large wind chimes are more sensitive in picking up changes in wind currents than small ones and the slightest gust of wind will trigger off the wind chimes and give out the alert of wind changes.
One of the most popular and easily available wind chimes is metal wind chimes. These wind chimes normally consist of hollow tubes and the number of tubes range from six to thirty, or even more, depending on the overall size of the chimes and its use. Other metal chimes replace the tubes with circular metal plates set at different heights - each plate giving out a different pitch. Aside from tubes and plates, other metal items used for metal wind chimes are coins, bells and even animal shapes like dolphins, cats, starfish and fish. Metal wind chimes are popular in homes because of their light, tinkly pitch, which is believed to help lighten the mood of the listener.
Some wind chimes are so designed and created solely to make music. Precision tuned, the tubes that hang on the musical wind chimes are specifically keyed to produce a specific note. All the other tubes in that wind chime will correspond in the same key and when all sound together, they will all resonate in harmony. This produces a melody-like sound akin to an actual song when it is triggered by the breeze.
Musical wind chimes are a more sophisticated version of the conventional wind chimes as they have to be specially made and precision tuned for the purpose of producing music and not just sound. They are more expensive as well. These special wind chimes are not confined to metal elements alone - there are musical wind chimes made of bamboo, wood, glass, copper or aluminum, which are usually shaped into tubes that strike a central part which may be made of the same material. In making wind chimes, it is found that aluminum is the easiest element to work with, particularly when trying to find the right spot for the perfect note.
Size does matter in wind chimes. Small wind chimes are used mainly for background entertainment purposes and for décor. Because of its size, these wind chimes are mainly seen on residential balconies. The soft, light and crisp sound created by them is often used by inhabitants as a way of relaxing and injecting a sense of peace into the surroundings. Small wind chimes are also available in an array of different materials - wood, aluminum, copper, glass, metal, bamboo or even crystals. The only difference is the sound produced - it could be a light tinkle or dull thud.
Wind chimes can be tuned as well to produce sound specifically keyed to a certain pitch. The quickest way to tune wind chimes is to cut them to the desired length. When making the chimes, try and use aluminum or metal as they are easier to work with and cut the longest chime first. That way, even if it is wrongly cut, it can still be used as a reference for the rest of the chimes. If precision tuning is done, some precise measurements will have to be done when finding the exact spot to get the richest and most resonating sound on the tube. Tuned wind chimes when in sets of eight will produce a harmonious musical melody and if tuned really well, all will play in the same key.
