Uses for Wind Chimes

Ambiance

• Wind chimes provide a pleasant, lyrical background noise at various pitches ranging from very deep to high. Many people find this sound to be satisfying, relaxing and elegant. Because the chimes sound in proportion to the strength of the breeze, they won't sound at all when there's no wind. This causes some people to associate wind chimes with light breezes that bring out their sound mildly–which can provide stress relief and enjoyment.

Music

• Composers sometimes use wind chimes in music as a percussion instrument. Wind chimes can rounded sounds like a bell. This quality is described as “inharmonic,” because although each specific chime on the wind chime will play at a different pitch relative to the others, none of them will actually play a specific note. Each chime will instead play a variety of overtones that don't reinforce the fundamental frequency.

  It is also possible, with exact tuning, to dampen these inharmonic overtones and bring out the fundamental frequency of the chimes. This makes it possible for each specific chime to sound as though it is playing a single note, which is called “harmonic.” All the chimes in combination will then play a distinct chord. If that chord is in the key of the harmonies currently being played by other instruments, it will complement the music. By playing with several of these carefully-tuned wind chimes at once, a musician can sound different chords and participate more fully in a composition.

  In both cases, the musician will usually hand-operate the central clapper on the wind chimes rather than blowing them with a stream of air.

Decoration

• Wind chimes make good decoration pieces, both for their sound and their visual appearance. There are countless styles of wind chimes. If you're going to use wind chimes for decoration, think about how they will contrast with and complement the surrounding décor. Ultimately, go with a style that best appeals to your aesthetic.