The Gift of Windchimes

Buying a windchime as a gift for that someone special or for yourself can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many construction choices (wood, metal, glass, bamboo, seashells, and stones) and such a wide variety of tunings and sounds (do you want chimes that sound like Westminster Abbey or something more exotic?), confusion can set in early on!

You might be surprised at the workmanship that this seemly simple instrument entails. In metal windchimes, there appears to be only a wood top piece with metal tubes of varying lengths underneath, a wind catcher and clapper that strikes the tubing to produce melodious sounds, however, it takes a tremendous amount of energy to produce the metal tubing, not to mention precision cutting is key in creating the correct tunings. Windchimes must also be able to withstand many years of pouring rain, the drying effects of the sun, and driving wind without corroding, decaying or breaking.

When looking at the construction of wind chimes, pay attention to the size and the material from which the wind chime is made. Most of our metal windchimes, such as Music of the Spheres and Grace Notes, are made of a high-grade aluminum with tempered alloy tubes, which are very popular because of their low maintenance and durability. Steel pipe creates a pleasant, bright ringing sound and copper is a softer metal that produces a more mellow sound than either steel or aluminum. The diameter of the tubing is what creates the frequency of the particular pipe you’re considering. Large diameter piping will produce lower tones, as can tubes with thicker sidewalls, while smaller diameters produce higher notes. A problem to be aware of when looking at windchimes that are longer than two or three feet is that the pipes can sometimes have overtones, especially in more cheaply made or softer metal pipes. Don’t let that stop you from buying though, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest wind chime has its longest tube at 36 feet long which produces a low, sustained, bell-like sound!