mark tree
Enable an agent to recognise a mark tree, assess its suspended chimes and playing condition, and select suitable setup, performance and maintenance actions.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 15 findings · 27 questions
Instrument identity Resolve what the registry name denotes and distinguish adjacent chime instruments.
Name and referent
Connect the registered term to an evidenced physical instrument kind.
Mark tree interpretation
The working interpretation is a percussion bar-chime array. A sampled-instrument developer explicitly uses the pairing 'barCHIMES Concert Mark Tree'; this supports terminology but does not establish the registry's intended referent. [Developer documentation](https://www.jiggery-pokery.com/PDF/Jiggery-Pokery_barCHIMES_Concert_Mark_Tree_RE.pdf).
- Does the originating registry record identify the percussion instrument as the intended referent? provenance
- Which observed structural features justify identifying this candidate as a mark tree? definition
Neighbouring instruments
Use construction and playing action to handle ambiguous names.
Chime boundary tests
Record the resonator shape, suspension layout and intended excitation before treating a label such as 'wind chimes' as sufficient identification.
- Is the array intended for a performer to sweep, or for another excitation arrangement? boundary
- Are its sounding elements suspended bars, bell cups or large individually struck tubes? boundary
Chime array construction Describe the graduated sounding elements and the suspensions that permit movement.
Graduated elements
Record the physical sequence without assuming all variants share one construction.
Array map
Represent installed chimes by row and position, recording geometry and material where established; avoid assigning universal dimensions or counts.
- How many rows and chimes are present, and what evidence establishes the expected complement? measurement
- How do length, cross-section and material vary along each row? measurement
Rail and suspensions
Describe how each chime hangs and how its attachment affects freedom of motion.
Suspension integrity
Suspension material must be verified for the instrument. One documented construction uses alloy chimes attached with nylon ties to a hardwood support. [LP Aspire construction](https://www.lpmusic.com/products/lpa280-aspire-series-24-bar-chimes/).
- What attachment material and arrangement does each chime use? provenance
- Which ties or attachment points are worn, loose or restricting movement? measurement
Sweep and acoustic response Connect chime order and performer contact to the resulting sound.
Direction and tuning
Establish audible graduation and any documented tuning scheme.
Pitch order and claims
Record observed pitch tendency separately from claimed musical tuning. Whole-tone bar chimes are a documented variant, so a mark-tree model must accommodate specified tuning. [LP whole-tone chimes](https://www.lpmusic.com/products/lp625-72-bar-whole-tone-chimes/).
- From the player's viewpoint, which sweep direction produces the intended rising or falling impression? measurement
- Is a scale or interval scheme documented, and does that claim apply to this instrument? provenance
Excitation and decay
Assess how a specified gesture produces onset, overlap and lingering sound.
Repeatable sweep response
Compare response using a recorded contact method, direction and sweep duration; describe uneven response or unwanted noise without assuming its cause.
- What contact method and sweep duration produced the observed texture? measurement
- How long does the sound decay under stated conditions, and where are unexpected gaps or rattles heard? measurement
- What supported damping action achieves the requested cutoff? action
Performance setup Establish a stable, reachable installation with room for the suspended array to move.
Mount and clearance
Relate the supporting rail to its mount and surrounding equipment.
Free-swing installation
Check the installed rail orientation and the movement envelope of the longest chimes before accepting a setup.
- Which mounting interface and installation instructions apply to this rail? provenance
- Can the chimes move through the intended gesture without hitting the stand or nearby equipment? measurement
Gesture access
Make the intended sweep and cutoff reachable in the playing position.
Performer reach
Treat access to the full sweep path and any damping provision as setup requirements specific to the requested performance.
- Can the performer reach the required first and last chimes without contacting the mount? measurement
- What position or orientation adjustment makes the requested sweep and cutoff accessible? action
Care and readiness Manage faults and transport conditions that affect hanging chimes and their sound.
Faults and replacements
Locate defective elements and establish compatible repairs.
Array restoration
Identify the affected chime position and distinguish damage to the sounding element, suspension or rail before selecting a repair.
- Which positions contain missing, damaged, misplaced or persistently muted chimes? measurement
- What evidence supports the proposed replacement's geometry, material, suspension and acoustic compatibility? provenance
- Which repair and subsequent sweep check are needed before returning the array to use? action
Transport and release
Distinguish protected transport configuration from playing configuration.
Restraint and untangling
Record how the hanging elements are secured for movement and verify that restraints and tangles are cleared before playing.
- What case or restraint arrangement is documented or verified as suitable for this array? provenance
- Have all transport restraints been removed and all chimes checked for free movement? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of mark tree this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of mark tree this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of mark tree this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of mark tree this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of mark tree this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
What it is Filled
A mark tree is a percussion instrument consisting of graduated metal rods suspended from a horizontal support and sounded by sweeping a hand or beater across them to produce a shimmering sequence of high-frequency tones.
In scope
- Graduated chime arrangement, supporting rail and individual suspensions
- Chime material, geometry, spacing and acoustic response
- Sweep direction, excitation method and sound termination
- Mounting, playing clearance and access
- Condition, replacement compatibility and transport restraint
Out of scope
- Wind-driven decorative chimes and their environmental installation
- Bell trees comprising graduated bells
- Orchestral tubular bells and individually mounted melodic chime bars
- Scores, performances and recordings that use mark trees
- Electronic chime simulations and sample libraries
- Manufacturer product lines and individual instrument ownership histories
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to recognise a mark tree, assess its suspended chimes and playing condition, and select suitable setup, performance and maintenance actions.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Look for multiple graduated chimes suspended along a supporting rail, with access to sweep across the array.
- Confirm that performer-controlled contact across the chimes is an intended playing action; a wind-operated central clapper indicates a neighbouring instrument kind.
- Distinguish hanging bars or rods from the graduated bell cups of a bell tree.
- Distinguish an array used for overlapping sweep effects from large tubular bells organised for separately struck notes.
- Do not require indefinite pitch as an identity test: explicitly scale-tuned bar-chime variants exist.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Mount it where rods can fall or swing onto people.
- Misattribute the instrument's invention or a recording.
- Advise playing it at levels that damage hearing in close quarters.
Only with a human decision
- Restoring or selling a valuable or historic set.
May
- Describe the mark tree and its use in percussion and recording.
- Help a user tune, play or mount one.
Moral aspects Filled
- It is a small instrument with few stakes beyond hearing and safe mounting.
- Musicians depend on correct credit for performances.
Who is affected
- Players
- Audiences
Owners Filled
Steward
The person who owns and plays it.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q130638653 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.mark-tree
- Wikidata: Q1073120 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1073120)
Direct properties required Filled
- Chime population: Number of installed chimes and number of rows
- Chime geometry: Length and diameter or cross-section in mm, recorded by position
- Chime construction: Documented material; solid or hollow; unknown where unverified
- Graduation direction: Chime position mapped to length and observed pitch tendency from the player's viewpoint
- Tuning basis: Documented scale or interval scheme; no specified tuning; unknown
- Suspension condition: Intact, worn, loose, tangled, broken or unassessed, by position
- Decay response: Seconds to a stated level reduction under a recorded excitation and recording setup
- Damping provision: Fitted damping mechanism; documented manual method; none documented; unknown
- Mounting compatibility: Rail attachment mapped to compatible clamp or stand and documented installation limits
- Playing readiness: Restrained for transport, mounted but obstructed, ready to play, repair required or unassessed
Recognition required Filled
- A row of hanging metal rods of graduated length below a horizontal bar.
- Played by sweeping a hand or stick across the rods.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Identify a candidate as a mark tree and resolve ambiguous chime terminology.
- Map the chime order and choose a sweep direction for the intended sound.
- Mount and position the array with adequate swing and performer clearance.
- Compare sweep response, unwanted rattles and decay under repeatable conditions.
- Inspect suspensions and select compatible replacement chimes or ties.
- Restrain and release the hanging array for transport and performance.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Loose rods can fall from the bar.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Harmonized System heading 9206, maintained by the World Customs Organization, covers percussion musical instruments.
Context of use required Filled
- A mark tree is used in concert performance, recording and theatrical music to create shimmering percussion effects.
- Performers sweep across its suspended rods to accent transitions or add a brief cascade of tones.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q1073120: mark tree - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Mark tree - general description of the item
Open questions
- Does the original registry source confirm that vr.tr.mark-tree denotes the percussion instrument, and does an existing Vercy world model already cover it?
- Where should the boundary fall for handheld, clustered or unusually arranged instruments marketed as bar chimes?
- Which construction and tuning variants are sufficiently established to include as categories rather than product-specific exceptions?
- Which damping mechanisms, cleaning methods and suspension replacements have authoritative instructions for the relevant variants?
- What measured dimensional and acoustic ranges, and which instrument-specific standards if any, can be supported without generalising from a few products?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1073120/spec.json