Sound
The Chime Instrument
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A set of metal bars, each cut to a different length, rings out a different musical pitch when struck — shorter bars ring higher, longer bars ring lower.
Play the rods from shortest to longest. Can you hear the pitch gradually fall?
Additional Information
A bar’s pitch depends mainly on its length: cutting a bar shorter raises its pitch, since shorter bars vibrate faster.
The material matters too — metal bars generally ring longer and clearer than wood, which tends to produce a softer, quicker-fading tone.
Outdoor chime instruments like this are tuned to a musical scale on purpose, so almost any combination of notes played sounds pleasant together.