Talk:Mark tree

Name
Google "bell chimes" Google "mark tree" one important hit

I'd never heard the name mark tree before seeing it in Wikipedia, although I've heard them live quite often and seen them in music shops.

(But never tempted to buy. Frankly I don't particularly like the effect, I've always thought they detracted from the performance but then the drummers I've heard use them haven't had a lot to offer anyway. Sorry if that's harsh!)

Anyway, the name does have some currency, apparently. (And the manner in which I've seen them used is evidently the way they're meant to be played, as a sort of tuned instrument used in an untuned manner. To each their own.) Andrewa (talk) 20:17, 28 January 2012 (UTC)


 * Two standard percussion history texts: Jame Holland's Percussion (Schirmer Reference, 1981) and James Blades Percussion Instruments and Their History (Farber & Farber, 1984) -- refer to this instrument as a "Mark Tree".
 * I've also heard them called "nail trees", "bar chimes", "bell trees" (incorrectly), and "wind chimes" (incorrectly). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.253 (talk) 22:36, 4 May 2020 (UTC)
 * I've also heard them called "nail trees", "bar chimes", "bell trees" (incorrectly), and "wind chimes" (incorrectly). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.43.253 (talk) 22:36, 4 May 2020 (UTC)

"Bar chimes" have been around for at least a century; the "mark tree" is very similar but has solid chimes instead of hollow ones, and was invented in the 1960s. They make about the same sound. These instruments used to have two separate articles; information has been lost by combining them into one and conflating two different things. 173.174.85.204 (talk) 16:25, 1 February 2016 (UTC)Eric

Image
One is badly needed. Anyone got a set to photograph and put on commons? Andrewa (talk) 22:11, 10 March 2012 (UTC)

Wind chimes
Um. ..

Wind chimes are mounted in a circle with a hanging striker strung in the center; they may be solid or hollow and made of many types of material, whereas the mark tree is mounted in a linear fashion and normally has solid metal bars.

The chief distinction between the Mark tree and wind chimes has to do with how they're activated, not what shape they are. Some wind chimes are mounted in a circle, but I have wind chimes that are mounted in squares, ovals, triangles, hexagons, random bunches, and also linearly. There are also Mark trees made with various kinds of wood, metal, and even glass rods.

The primary distinction is: Mark trees are intended to be activated by hand (or a percussion mallet), whereas wind chimes are intended to be activated by the blowing of the wind.