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Most people have heard of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Well -Tempered Clavier.” Written during the Baroque period, it was written in support of the “new” style of adjusting the intervals between the twelve notes of the scale to enable the use of all keys, both major and minor, not just those based on natural harmonics.

To understand the importance of this, we need to step back in time and appreciate the tuning in use during the Renaissance period, which preceded the Baroque period. During the Renaissance, music was composed using the eight musical modes which were used in early (medieval) church music (think Gregorian chant). The modes were similar to our current keys, the most common being the Dorian mode (think of playing just the white keys on the piano from D to D), the Phrygian mode (white keys from E to E) and the Lydian mode (white keys from F to F).

These “church” modes (Dorian, Phrygian, and Lydian) were followed later by the Aeolian mode (think of playing just the white keys on the piano from A to A) and the Ionian mode (white keys from C to C), which become the basis of our concept of major (Ionian) and minor (Aeolian) keys.

What does this mean for wind chimes? With the advent of using Aluminum tubing for wind chimes, it became possible to tune the chimes. In addition to the length of the tubing used one had to consider the thickness of the tubing. However, taking both of these variables into account led to precision tuning as practiced by Gary Kvistad of Woodstock Chimes.

The first chime created by Gary was the Chimes of Olympus, which used an even earlier scale, a Greek pentatonic scale from the 7th Century. From there the options became endless. Some tunings were based on the well-tempered standard, such as the Chicago Blues ChimeTM or the Amazing Grace Chime which are based on modern tunes. Other tunings date back to earlier modes: such as the Gregorian Chimes which use the Dorian mode or the Tudor Rose Chimes TM which are tuned to the Aeolian mode, the minor key nature of the mode considered highly appropriate for languishing love ballads.

Just as an early Baroque composition sounds different when played on “original” instruments as opposed to modern day instruments, different wind chimes either sound good together or clash, based on the tuning that is used. The pentatonic scale used for the Chimes of Olympus is actually in the Phrygian mode, although only five of the possible eight tones are used. This means the chime harmonizes nicely with other chimes tuned in the Phrygian mode.

All in all, the use of Aluminum in the construction of wind chimes has allowed for a wide array of tunings, from ancient Greek pentatonic scales through medieval modes to tunings represented in modern music. Listen to the variety of tunings available. You are certain to develop a favourite.

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