WInd Chimes - Winds Of Melody

Have you ever heard those melodious rumblings from Wind Chimes ? If not then I'll let you know how it feels. The Wind Chimes generate the softest and the sweetest music in the simplest manner, just by rumbling in through soft and heavy winds. The sound of Wind Chimes brings up a special joy and pep into me. Wind chimes are universally thought to bring good luck and are highly valued in Feng Shui as well. The pleasant tinkling sounds of a wind chime are always soothing to the ears.

Let me now tell you, what a Wind Chime actually is. Wind chimes are chimes constructed from suspended tubes, rods or other objects and are often made of metal or wood. Wind chimes are usually hung outside of a building or house and are intended to be played by the wind. Sound can be produced when the tubes or rods come in contact with a suspended central clapper, in the form of a ball or horizontal disk, or each other. Wind chimes may be used to observe changes in wind direction, depending on where they are hung.

There are several kinds of Wind Chimes available in the market these days. Ranging from luxurious Wind Chimes made of Crystals, Platinum to the down to earth simpleton Wind Chimes made of thin metals.

The wind chimes have their origins in Indian wind bells. By the second century CE, these wind bells were being hung on the corners of large pagodas with the purpose of scaring away birds and evil spirits. Later, wind bells were introduced to China and were also hung in temples, palaces and homes. Japanese glass wind bells known as "Fūrin" have been produced since the Edo period. Wind chimes are thought to be good luck in parts of Asia and are used in Feng Shui. Now, SInce many countries hae started taking up the Feng Shui pronciples in constructing homes, Wind Chimes are now used widely in several homes.
If you are wondering how these pieces of pipes could produce such mesmerizing melody, then let me tell you that a lot of scientific work has gone into the construction of WInd Chimes. Chimes produce inharmonic (as opposed to harmonic) spectra, although if they are hung at about 1/5th of their length (22.4%), the higher partials are dampened and the fundamental is brought out. This is common practice in high-quality wind chimes, which are also usually hung so the center ball strikes the center of the wind chime's length. Frequency is determined by the length, width, thickness, and material. There are formulas that help predict the proper length to achieve a particular note, though a bit of fine tuning is often needed. Huh! These simpl looking WInd Chimes do have a complex background.

So, next time when you go out shopping for some home decor, dont miss out the pleasing WInd Chimes. Hang in a Wind Chime and feel the joy of the melodious music with every gust of wind. :)