The Water (Aqua) Koshi chime plays these notes on its eight rods: A D F G A D F A. They belong to the five-note, or pentatonic, D minor scale, without its C. The maker describes the sound as soft, clear and flowing. Aqua is Latin for water.
A pentatonic scale has no semitone steps, such as the step from B to C on a piano. Whatever order the rods sound in, no two notes are ever a semitone apart.
Its treated bamboo body is 6.3 cm across and 16.5 cm tall; inside, a hard acrylic ball hangs on a cord among the rods. It is made in Le Soler, at the eastern end of the Pyrenees, where each rod is tuned by ear to A = 432 Hz.
- In your hand: hold it by the cord and circle it slowly, or swing it gently like a pendulum for single notes.
- As a wind chime: hang it on a covered terrace, under the eaves or on a sheltered balcony. Do not leave it out in the rain.
- Children: it is not a toy, and the maker says it is not suitable for children under three. Never hang it above a baby’s cot or cradle.
The workshop suggests using it to mark the beginning and end of a quiet moment or a meditation.