Each part of the chime has a corresponding title, these names can be used to accurately describe the various specifications of the chime, a set of chime specifications contains the balance, Yong, 斡, spiral, dance, milling, plutonium, pieces, drums and other parts of the data. Usually to express the specifications of a chime, the following table is commonly used in this way:
In ancient times, there were bells all over the world. But none of them became instruments because, the cross-section of these clocks was perfectly circular and the sound lasted too long. Only the Chinese chimes, its tile-like structure, cross-section like two tiles together, because the bell body is flat and round, the edges and corners have edges, and the attenuation of the sound is faster, so it can be arranged into groups and used as melodic instruments.
The tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, excavated in Suizhou City, Hubei Province in 1978, including a set of large chimes in the center of the ancient tomb, shocked the world, it is composed of 65 pieces of music bells, with a total weight of 4.4 tons, which is the largest, most complete and best preserved chimes found so far.
The early chimes were more than 3, 8 or 9 pieces, and the shape system was relatively single, while in the early Warring States period where Zeng Houyi was located, the chimes had entered the peak of their development. He divided the 65 pieces of music bells into three layers and eight groups, each group is complete with seven voices, can play the music independently, and on the principle of the button bell on the top and the Yong bell on the bottom, in the order of the scales in each group, they are hung on the copper wooden frame in turn, and the bell frame is clouded around the pillar, as if the dragon is coiled, and the ring is hooked by the claw, like a tiger crouching. A set of large, exquisite chimes representing the highest achievements of pre-Qin music was born.
In terms of range, it spans five octaves, only one octave less than the left and right of modern pianos; on the scale, it breaks through the limitation of the five-tone scale of Western Zhou Gagaku, adding two tones of "variation" and "change palace" to become seven tones; and in the relative interval, it also maintains enough accuracy to make it sound very harmonious and pleasant.
The sound principle of chimes is generally that the bell body of the chimes is small, the tone is high, and the volume is small; the bell body is large, the tone is low, and the volume is also large, so the size and shape of the casting have an important impact on the chimes. When chimes are cast, in addition to considering the beauty of the bell, we must also pay attention to its acoustic characteristics. The protruding part of these bell bodies is called the "bell piece", which is not only a decoration, it also accelerates the attenuation of the sound.
Bronze is an alloy, the main component is copper, and a small amount of tin and lead are added, and the subtle proportions of various metal components have a significant impact on the acoustic properties and mechanical properties of the bell. The increase in the tin content in bronze can improve the hardness of bronze. But if the content is too much, the bronze will become brittle and not resistant to knocking. Adding lead to copper can reduce the melting point, increase the fluidity of bronze casting, and also weaken the brittleness caused by tin, so that the cast bell is resistant to percussion. However, the lead content is too high, and the tone of the bell will be dry and rhymeless.
Zeng Houyi chimes can strike two accurate pieces of music on one clock, a phenomenon that once surprised and confused people. Acoustic testing has found that the mechanism by which chimes can produce double tones lies in its tile shape. When the front of the bell is struck, the amplitude of the side is zero, and when the side is struck, the amplitude of the front is zero. In this way, the two tones coexist and do not interfere with each other.