We've Built Great Sound Into Your MelodyChime® Instruments.
Here's How To Get It Out.
To help you learn how to get the very best sound from your new MelodyChime
® Instruments, we have put together
the following download-able information guide:
Guide to Care and Ringing [PDF]
Initial Adjustments
Please check the action of your MelodyChime
® Instruments upon receipt. Adjust if necessary, following the Care & Maintenance Instructions in this booklet.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your local Schulmerich Regional Independent Sales Representative, or the home office at 800/772-3557.
These settings should be checked periodically and should be adjusted if necessary in order to maintain the desired playing tension.
Hand Position
Schulmerich MelodyChime
® Instruments are octagonal in shape to facilitate comfortable
holding of the chime. The side of the chime should be placed flat against
the open extended hand, then position the thumb and fingers around the tube.
The identifying pitch plate on the chime should be placed facing you, in the
upward position. The hand should be positioned slightly below the
identifying pitch plate for optimizing balance of the chime instrument in
your hand.
(1) Adjust your hand position according to the size of the
instrument.
Ringing Technique
Once the proper grip is secured, proceed by cocking the open end of the
chime back towards your chest, so that the clapper falls back toward your
shoulder. With the closed end of the chime pointed downward and
(2) The chime
should ring when the wrist has rotated to a nearly vertical position.
(3) The
clapper will strike the chime and should immediately fall away from the
chime.
(4) It is most important that the clapper falls away from the chime to
insure optimum sound quality. A hard downward ringing style will not produce
a good tonal sound. Should the clapper remain forward either resting on the
chime, or near it, the sound will be dampened, causing a muffled or short
sound. Once the chime is struck, you should proceed by lifting the chime
back towards your body in an oval/backward wheel formation.
Damping Position
To damp the sound of the chime, meaning to stop the sound of the chime,
bring the chime to your chest, turning your arm inward so that both tines
touch the chest.
(5) Hands must never cross over to opposite shoulders. The
second method of damping chimes would be to damp them directly on the
table/foam being careful not to re-strike the chime upon contact with the
table/foam. The larger the instrument, the greater the damping surface
required to be in contact with the chest or table/foam, to properly dampen
the sound.