Editing Wind chime (section)

== Materials ==
[[image:Chime closeup.jpg|thumb|right|175px|A close-up of metal rods on a wind chime]]
{{Listen
| filename     = Windchimes.ogg
| title        = Wind chimes
| description  = A recording of wind chimes.
| format       = [[Ogg]]
}}
Wind chimes can be made of materials other than metal or wood and in shapes other than tubes or rods. Other wind chimes materials include glass, bamboo, shell, stone, earthenware, stoneware, beads, keys and porcelain.<ref name="vt">{{cite web|url=http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textw/Windchimes.html|title=Wind chimes|date=2009-01-08|work=Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary|publisher=Virginia Tech}}</ref> More exotic items, such as silverware or cookie cutters, can also be recycled (or [[Upcycling|upcycled]]) to create wind chimes.<ref name="toronto">{{cite news
 | last = MacKenzie
 | first = Peggy
 | title = Crafted silver chimes hit right note; Retooled cutlery the meat and potatoes of woman's successful small business
 | pages = H05
 | newspaper = The Toronto Star
 | date = August 25, 2007}}
</ref> The selected material can have a large effect on the sound a wind chime produces. The sounds produced by recycled objects such as these are not as easily tunable to specific notes and range from pleasant tinkling to dull thuds. The sounds produced by properly sized wind chime tubes are tunable to notes.<ref name="formula"/> As [[Aluminium|aluminum]] is the common metal with the lowest internal [[damping]], wind chimes are often made from aluminum to achieve the longest and loudest sounding chime.

The tone depends on factors such as the material used, the exact alloy, heat treatment, and whether a solid cylinder or a tube is used. If a tube is used, the wall thickness also affects the tone. Tone may also depend on the hanging method. The tone quality also depends on the material of the object that is used to hit the chimes.

With clay wind chimes, the higher the final firing temperature, the brighter and more ringing the resulting tone. [[Earthenware]] clay fired at lower temperatures produces a duller sound than [[stoneware]] clay fired at higher temperatures. Stoneware wind chimes are also more durable and able to resist stronger winds without suffering chipping or damage.