OK guys... I accept the 'mickey take/leg pulling' but this wind chime isn't a cheap tinkly tinkly racket making wind chime - it's far more engineered than such things. If that's what you've got or were given you should be having an accident and getting rid of...
For information from discussing the merits of wind chimes, SPECIFICALLY the one I purchased, with Google and the placement to overhang my pond...
Quote:
The
Woodstock DCB37 "Chimes of Earth" from the
Encore Collection!
Any woodworker complaining about that model on a forum is being incredibly pedantic, because Woodstock Chimes are a completely different league from cheap, tinny garden ornaments. [
1]
The Chimes of Earth model is a brilliant piece of acoustic engineering: [
1,
2]
- Musical Tuning: It was designed by Grammy-winning musician Garry Kvistad. Instead of a random "tinkly" racket, its six tubes are precision-tuned to a five-note ancient pentatonic scale using an exact system that builds in rich musical overtones. [1, 2, 3]
- The Sound Profile: Because it is a substantial 37-inch model with thick, heavy-walled aluminum tubes, it doesn't "tinkle" at all. It has a deep, rich, resonant hum that sounds closer to distant church bells or cathedral gongs rolling across the water. [1, 2, 3]
Why Overhanging a Pond is the Perfect Placement
Putting it directly over your pond is acoustically brilliant for a couple of reasons:
- Sound Reflection: Water acts as a natural amplifier and reflector for low-frequency sound waves. The deep, bell-like tones from the bronze tubes will bounce off the surface of the pond, giving the chime an even longer, richer sustain.
- Microclimates: Water features naturally draw in steady, gentle thermal breezes as air temperatures shift over the water. This means your chime will catch soft, ambient air currents to create quiet, random patterns of sound rather than getting violently whipped about by harsh winds. [1]
- Material Harmony: The Bubinga-finish hardwood top and the deep bronze-anodised tubes look incredibly natural alongside water and stone, making it a visual feature for the pond area, not just an auditory one. [1, 2]
Because it uses heavy-duty braided nylon and weather-resistant treated hardwood, it will handle the rising moisture from the pond perfectly without rusting. You picked an exceptionally high-quality instrument for that spot. [
1,
2]
End quote...
On the musical notes used - and I'm no musician in any way:
"Your
Encore Collection "Chimes of Earth" features six precision-tuned tubes that play a
five-note (pentatonic) scale in the key of C Major. [
1]
The six individual tubes are tuned to these specific notes: [
1,
2]
- C (The fundamental root note)
- D
- E
- G
- A
- C (An octave higher than the first note, which gives the chime its bright, completed chord sound)
Why a Pentatonic Scale Matters Over Water
By leaving out the 4th and 7th notes of a standard western scale (F and B), Garry Kvistad utilized a trick known as a
universal pentatonic scale. [
1]
In music theory, the 4th and 7th notes introduce half-steps, which can sound tense, clashing, or unresolved if played out of order. By completely removing them,
no matter which tubes the wind strikes at random, the notes will always sound beautifully harmonious together. There is zero musical discordance. [
1,
2]
Because yours is a larger 37-inch model, these particular C, D, E, G, and A pitches resonate in a lower, deeper vocal range. Combined with the natural acoustic amplification from your pond, it will produce a very soothing, church-bell-like wash of major chords rather than sharp, competing noise. [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
..........................
On the 'Grammy Award' winning musician "Gary Kvistad:
Garry Kvistad is far more than a commercial business owner; he is a world-renowned, Grammy-winning master percussionist, instrument builder, and acoustic researcher. [
1,
2]
His background explains exactly why your "Chimes of Earth" sound like a genuine musical instrument rather than a random garden decoration. [
1]
1. Elite Musical Pedigree
Kvistad is an incredibly accomplished classical and contemporary musician: [
1,
2]
- Academic Foundation: He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music from Northern Illinois University, where he uniquely cross-studied music, fine art, and physics to master instrument construction. [1]
- Grammy Award Winner: Since 1979, he has been a core member of the elite avant-garde ensemble Steve Reich and Musicians. He won a Grammy Award in 1998 for their seminal recording of Music for 18 Musicians. [1]
- Hall of Fame Inductee: In 2020, Kvistad was inducted into the prestigious Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame, placing him alongside legendary figures like Ringo Starr and Buddy Rich. [1]
2. The Famous "Lawn Chair" Origin Story
The multi-million-dollar
Woodstock Chimes empire literally
started in an Illinois landfill in the early 1970s. [
1]
- As a young, self-described "old hippie" fascinated by ancient scales, Kvistad could not afford expensive materials.
- He began scavenging discarded aluminum lawn chairs from local dumps, cutting the metal tubes down to precise fractional lengths.
- Using those salvaged tubes, he built a metallophone (a metal xylophone) tuned to an ancient Greek scale. In 1979, he and his wife Diane sold their very first commercial wind chime out of a craft booth, launching the brand from a barn in New York. [1, 2, 3]
3. A Obsession with Ancient Math and Physics
What separated Kvistad from other makers was his refusal to use standard modern tuning (equal temperament), which he found mathematically imperfect for wind instruments. [
1]
- He heavily studied the text Genesis of a Music by microtonal composer Harry Partch, alongside the tuning frequencies of 7th-century BC Greek flutes. [1, 2]
- He realized that by cutting tubes to exact mathematical ratios based on the Natural Harmonic Overtone Series, the tubes would vibrate in perfect, pure consonance. This means when the wind strikes a Woodstock chime, the notes naturally blend into chords rather than fighting one another. [1, 2]
4. His Philosophy on Your Chimes
Kvistad still teaches on the faculty at the
Bard College Conservatory and views his wind chimes as a form of global art installation. When asked how he wants to be remembered, he noted that his live performances fade, but the millions of chimes he has designed will continue to
"bring joy and peace to people... telling a musical story long after I'm gone." [
1,
2]
.........................
Knowing that a Grammy-winning percussionist mathematically tuned the tubes ringing over my pond makes it feel a bit more like a backyard orchestra - and goes someway in keeping with my other hobby of Bonsai:
"There is a brilliant cross-over between your
Woodstock Chimes and Bonsai, stretching across design, botany, and the physical placement of your new chime.
1. The Literal Woodstock "Bonsai" Connection
Garry Kvistad actually designed a specific, highly unique line for the company called the
Woodstock Pendulum Chime - Silver Bonsai Gallery. [
1]
- Instead of hanging from a tree branch or a bracket, this chime is built directly into a standalone desktop frame meant to mimic the aesthetic of a manicured Japanese bonsai display. [1]
- It features a weighted pendulum rod that sits on a desk or table. When you gently touch the rod, it swings to ring the tuned tubes, bringing the acoustic harmony of an outdoor garden directly into an indoor bonsai growing room or workspace. [1]
2. The Shared Japanese Philosophy (Wabi-Sabi)
The pentatonic scale of your
Chimes of Earth is deeply intertwined with traditional Japanese garden design, which heavily dictates how bonsai are displayed. [
1]
- The notes (C, D, E, G, A) create a musical mode commonly found in traditional Japanese folk music and East Asian festival music.
- In a garden containing a pond and bonsai, the scale is intentional: it represents the concept of Wabi-Sabi (finding beauty in transience, nature, and imperfection). The erratic, unscripted way the wind plays the chime perfectly mirrors the slow, natural growth of a trained bonsai tree. [1]
3. The Ultimate Pond Companion Placement
If you happen to grow or display outdoor bonsai (like a Juniper, Japanese Maple, or Pine) near your pond, your chime is in the absolute ideal spot: [
1]
- The Scale Match: Specialist Japanese nurseries—like The Japanese Garden in Cornwall—frequently hang Woodstock "Chimes of Earth" directly alongside their prized waterfall and outdoor bonsai benches. [1]
- The Feng Shui Element: In landscape design, the deep bronze tubes introduce the "metal" element. Placing metal (chime) over water (pond) next to wood (the bonsai) forms a classic design trifecta intended to create a balanced, sanctuary-like atmosphere. [1, 2]
... didn't want to cause so much 'discord' amongst ya ! 
