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Windchimes
Windchimes and garden decor are often synonymous, with a set of copper or steel windchimes blowing in the wind by a porch or over a small garden of plants and flowers. Windchimes are popular for garden decor not only because of their look but because of their sound. Outdoor yard windchimes can be made with several materials and come in such unique shapes as frog windchimes, angel windchimes, dragon windchimes, and hummingbird windchimes. But it's not only the appearance - windchimes always sound pleasing to the ear as wind passes through them. So, how do windchimes work?
Windchimes have a somewhat deceptively simple design. The basic format for windchimes consists of pitched tubes or rods attached to a larger disc and a central hanging disc or ball called a clapper that hits the windchimes to produce pleasing pitches when the wind blows. While the clapper is in the center of the windchime arrangement, the pitched tubes or rods are spaced so that the clapper can hit only one or two at a time. If three or more are hit by the clapper, the resulting sounds are often dissonant. But although the windchimes are arranged according to harmonious pitch groups, no precise measurements exist for the lengths of the rods or tubing and the spacing of the windchime rods, as the materials and thickness of the rods can alter the pitch and allow no consistent lengths. The goal when creating a windchime is to have a balanced set of chimes and harmoniously-pitched tubing.
The pitches of the rods for a windchime are one of the more important aspects that make windchimes not only pleasing in looks but also in aural ornamentation for your garden, porch, or home. Windchimes, including both indoor and outdoor windchimes, used in western cultures are tuned to western tuning standards like a piano. For creating a harmonious windchime, this means making sure the rods are tuned to a major, minor, or pentatonic chord. Commercial yard windchimes are tuned to pentatonic pitches and often involve six or eight rods. The pitch and sound quality of the windchimes vary with the types of materials used. While materials like steel, aluminum, brass, wood, and glass are all used to create commercial windchimes, the lengths of the rods can vary with the materials used. Other factors that can vary the pitch for rods or tubing include whether the windchime rods are hollow and how think each rod is. In terms of the materials used, copper is a common metal for windchimes, as it produces softer tones, but steel and aluminum alloys are also common materials for windchimes, even though they produce sharper tones. In addition, the type of clapper used can affect sound quality; a softer clapper, for example, will produce mellower tones than a clapper made with hard materials.
Modern windchimes are ornamental for inside and outside locations and are occasionally used for practical purposes like observing the direction of the wind, but modern windchimes are based on Indian wind bells that were hung on the corners of pagodas to scare away evil spirits and birds. These bells spread from India to China, Tibet, and Japan and evolved in shape to resemble modern windchimes. Aside from the religious purposes of warding away evil spirits, windchimes are still used for good luck in parts of eastern Asia as Feng Shui. For a basic understanding, Feng Shui describes placing certain objects - windchimes included - to activate chi, or energy, and alleviate blockage in certain spaces, such as the home. Windchimes can be placed around the home not just for decorative purposes but to have a better flowing chi for protection and purification purposes. For Feng Shui purposes, six rod windchimes are used typically but the size can vary. For example, a large set of windchimes might be too overbearing for inside of a house but a small set of windchimes can be too small for an outdoor space or for a large room indoors. Other rules apply to placement of objects like windchimes in Feng Shui and certain locations and directions are beneficial for certain purposes.
Whether you're considering windchimes to ornament your garden and porch in design and sound or are using windchimes for good luck purposes, the majority of commercial windchimes are pure copper and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. While the ornamental aspect of a windchime won't affect the sound, the size definitely will. For lower and mellow tones, a larger set of windchimes could compliment your garden or outdoor space, while a smaller set with thinner tubing will produce higher-pitch frequencies.
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