# What are the notes in a typical grandfather clock hourly chime? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337 "2005-08-23T22:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/1 "2005-08-23T22:27:15Z")
There’s a common tune played by on the hour by many grandfather clocks. It’s something like: 1: bing-bong-bing-bong 2: bing-bong-bing-bong (repeat 1) (repeat 2) BONG… BONG… BONG… (one BONG per hour) Does anyone know what the notes are in the bing-bong-bing-bong part? The part I’m talking about sounds like this: [http://new.wavlist.com/soundfx/020/clock-grandfather.wav](http://new.wavlist.com/soundfx/020/clock-grandfather.wav) ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/2 "2005-08-23T22:41:51Z")
It’s usually [Westminster chimes](http://www.answers.com/topic/westminster-quarters). ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/3 "2005-08-23T22:46:00Z")
Then, of course, I notice the link from that site to [the Master](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990430b.html). But Cece didn’t give the notes. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/4 "2005-08-24T02:07:36Z")
[QUOTE=filmore] There’s a common tune played by on the hour by many grandfather clocks. It’s something like: 1: bing-bong-bing-bong 2: bing-bong-bing-bong (repeat 1) (repeat 2) BONG… BONG… BONG… (one BONG per hour) I have a G’father clock with: hour strike only, Westminster, Whittington, and St. Michaels chimes. The Westminster has five (5) different sets of eight (8) chimes which rotate in sequence. #1 on qtr.hr. #2,#3, on half hr. #3#4#5 on three qtr. hr. and #1,#2, #3, & #4 on the hour, followed by the hour being struck by the two lowest notes, or maybe its the lowest and third lowest. I too would like to see the notes on a music staff. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/5 "2005-08-24T06:17:27Z")
Well, from memory, in solfege, it’s Mi-Do-Re-Sol Sol-Re-Mi-Do Mi-Re-Do-Sol Sol-Re-Mi-Do Sol Sol Sol Sol Or, if you pretend we’re in the key of C Major, it’s E-C-D-G G-D-E-C E-D-C-G G-D-E-C G G G G ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/6 "2005-08-24T13:54:18Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > I have a G’father clock with: hour strike only, Westminster, Whittington, and St. Michaels chimes. The Westminster has five (5) different sets of eight (8) chimes which rotate in sequence. #1 on qtr.hr. #2,#3, on half hr. #3#4#5 on three qtr. hr. and #1,#2, #3, & #4 on the hour, followed by the hour being struck by the two lowest notes, or maybe its the lowest and third lowest. > I too would like to see the notes on a music staff. I failed to note that the notes of the chimes cover a full octave of eight (8) musical notes + one which is two? below the octave and is only struck on the hour… Two notes are struck together to mark the hours. I built the case and assembled the works and had never noticed there were 9 chime elements, assuming there were only eight. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-notes-in-a-typical-grandfather-clock-hourly-chime/318337/7 "2005-08-24T13:59:46Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > \ > Or, if you pretend we’re in the key of C Major, it’s > > E-C-D-G > G-D-E-C > E-D-C-G > G-D-E-C > > G > G > G > G Noting that those Gs are below (middle) C, not above (middle) C to clear up any possible confusion. 😉