A simple wind chime is one type of chime consisting of a series of tuned chimes.
Chimes refer to a set of bells or slaps of metal, wood or another material that make a musical sound when struck. As a musical instrument, chimes are classified as percussion instruments and can be either one single chime or a set of tuned chimes. As a musical instrument, chimes can be found in many churches as well as in orchestral arrangements.
Bell Chime
The bell chime is actually a set of tuned bells. Sets range in size from 2 to 20 bells, though a few sets have a three octave range. The bell chime is most often heard as an automatic song that precedes the hour or sometimes quarter-hours at a church. The bell chime can also be played by human musicians, either by manually pulling on the ropes associated with each bell, or as is more common, by using a keyboard that controls the ringing of the bells.
Tubular Bells
Tubular bells are a common percussion instrument.
In the 1880s tubular bells replaced the more unwieldy traditional bells that had been previously used in orchestral arrangements. Tubular bells consist of a series of tuned, hollow metal tubes that are hung from a metal stand. Music is produced by striking the bells by hand with a mallet. The chimes are dampened either manually or by a pedal control.
Orchestral Bells or Glockenspiel
Referred to as both orchestral bells and the glockenspiel, this instrument consists of a set of tuned metal bars -- not bells -- that are played by being struck by a series of small mallets. The glockenspiel developed from an instrument that consisted of a series of metal bells that were struck with small metal hammers, and thus is sometimes referred to as orchestral bells.
Stone Chimes or Lithophone
The term stone chimes, or lithophone, refers to any set of rocks or stones in a tuned progression. These instruments can be found around the world, including Asia, South America and parts of Africa. These instruments date to ancient times and vary in size and tone. Many are used for religious and ritualistic purposes.
Drum Chimes
The drum chime originates in Burma. This instrument consists of a set of tuned drums, often 24 in total, that are arranged on the walls of a circular pen. The musician sits in the center of the circle and plays the drum chimes by hitting them with his bare hands. Other similar versions of drum chimes have been found throughout Asia and in parts of Africa.
Tuned Drums
Similar to drum chimes, tuned drums refer to a series of drums that range in sound and can be played by one or a group of performers. Varieties of tuned drums include tubano drums, which can be arranged to form a cluster drum. Tuned drums can be found everywhere from traditional musical arrangement to playground installations, where children enjoy experimenting with the different pitched drums.
Gong Chimes
The upright gong chime originated in China.
Gong chimes are Asian instruments that consist of a series of tuned gongs arranged in sequence. They can be arranged upright like the Chinese yunluo that has traditionally been used in Buddhist and Confucian rituals, or arranged horizontally like those found in Indonesia and in many Southeast Asian orchestras.
