Wind chimes

I began handcrafting wind chimes and chime trees around the same time I learned how to solve partial differential equations by separating variables, as a sophomore at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) in Prof. MacAlevey's class. This helped me take ownership of my education and provided some intuition and appreciation for wave phenomena.

To assemble a wind chime, I first formulate a tuning and calculate the appropriate lengths of the chimes using the relation \(f \propto \ell^{-2}\), where \(f\) is the frequency and \(\ell\) is the length of the chime. I then procure the metals (6061 aluminium alloy), make the appropriate cuts using a hacksaw, fine-tune the bars with a hand file, and finally string the chimes together. The strikers are made of hematite, and the windcatcher and hanging base are 3D-printed. Below are some of my favorite results.

• Cadd9 (G \(\otimes\) C \(\otimes\) D \(\otimes\) G):
  
• E lydian:
  
• Raga Malkauns:
  
• A minor modal:
  
• Db minor pentatonic:
  
• Raga Hindol:
  
• Sixteen-piece inharmonic chime tree [picture]:
  
• Harmonic six-piece chime tree. [picture]:
  
• Fifteen-piece inharmonic chime tree: [picture]:
  
• See here for several wind chimes tinkling in the breeze in Arroyo Seco, NM.
• Here is a multi-medium creative project involving wind chimes.

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