Freenotes

Outdoor Musical Instruments - School Playground Instruments

Freenotes are unique, custom made, handcrafted outdoor musical instruments that are easy to play and offer interactive fun for beginners and experts alike. Knowledge of music, keys or scales is not necessary. If you’ve ever wished you could play music, now you can. The tones are pure and soothing and there are no wrong notes!

Freenotes outdoor music instruments are so easy to play they allow anyone to create enchanting music. These beautifully designed percussion instruments are built to deliver the highest quality sound whilst being able to withstand the rigorous play of children and the extreme elements of nature.

Great for school playgrounds, parks, forests and community projects these instruments can be installed in any combination. Any grouping of Freenotes outdoor muscial instruments delivers quality of sound – right from the start – for both the player and those listening nearby.

With Freenotes outdoor musical instruments, music becomes simple enough for anyone to play — with no training! The proof is in your ears — listen and hear for yourself on www.freenotes.eu

Featured Products - The Outdoor Musical Instruments

Swirl

The Swirl is made of twenty-six resonated aluminium chimes in the key of C major, ranging in pitch from soprano to alto. The Swirl incorporates individual resonators for each chime, giving a rich tone. The instrument can be wall mounted or set on a sturdy stand.

Pegasus

Metallophones have been used in music for hundreds of years. There are several different types used in gamelan ensembles, this is a hefty metallophone made with twenty-three resonated aluminum bars in the key of C major. The instrument can be wall mounted or set on a sturdy stand.

Tubano Drums

These five tubano styled drums are made with replaceable PVC heads ranging from 170mm to 400mm in diameter. The drums can be fixed at varying heights to suit your needs. The bases of the drums can be permanently installed directly into the ground in a choice of arrangement or supplied with a timber base. The drums can be painted in a combination of colours.

Amadinda

The Amadinda is inspired by a traditional pentatonic xylophone originating in Uganda and translates from Ama (big) Dinda (keys). It has large resonating chambers that give a deep and rich tone. The bars of this instrument are made of weather-resistant ipe from sustainable sources which performs well in an outdoor setting and stands up to hard use. Tuned to c major in the pentatonic scale.

Imbarimba

Imbarimba is a unique musical design combining elements of two classic African instruments: the marimba (a resonated xylophone) and the kalimba (thumb piano). The bars are arranged in the layout of the kalimba with long bars in the middle and short bars on the ends. This allows both hands equal access to the upper and lower notes.

The instrument can be wall mounted or set on a sturdy stand. The notes are entirely weather proof and able to withstand hard use. The Imbarimba is pitched one octave above the Amadinda.

Flying Amadinda

The Flying Amadinda's thirteen 20mm by 90mm bars are suspended between a sturdy frame and its overall length is 1.8m. Coated steel cable suspending the bars is maintenance-free. The bars are made of weather-resistant ipe from sustainable sources. It is tuned to C major in the pentatonic scale.

Imbarimba

Imbarimba is a unique musical design combining elements of two classic African instruments: the marimba (a resonated xylophone) and the kalimba (thumb piano). The bars are arranged in the layout of the kalimba with long bars in the middle and short bars on the ends. This allows both hands equal access to the upper and lower notes. The instrument can be wall mounted or set on a sturdy stand. The notes are entirely weather proof and able to withstand hard use. The Imbarimba is pitched one octave above the Amadinda.

Flying Amadinda

The Flying Amadinda's thirteen 20mm by 90mm bars are suspended between a sturdy frame and its overall length is 1.8m. Coated steel cable suspending the bars is maintenance-free. The bars are made of weather-resistant ipe from sustainable sources. It is tuned to C major in the pentatonic scale.

Manta Ray

The Manta Ray is an elegant aluminium metallophone with a stainless steel frame set into a sturdy timber base. The individual chime tubes are suspended by coated steel cable. The same scale is mirrored to the right and left sides and the range is two octaves and a fifth, and the scale is C major. Playing this instrument is a delight.

Eye-Chimes

Stunning in both their towering appearance and low resonant sound. These seven chimes are pitched two octaves below middle C. They are made of 100mm diameter heavy-duty aluminium pipe and are available set in a horseshoe shaped base to enable the player to experience a surround sound effect! Eye-chimes are also available to buy individually.

Technical Notes - School Playground Instruments

Resonation chambers are made from impact resistant ABS tubing because of its high mechanical strength and UV stability.

Timber frames and bases are made from pressure treated European redwood and guaranteed against rot and fungal decay for 10 years. The notes are made from ipe - all are from sustainable sources.

All Freenotes frames are sent unstained and whilst you may choose to leave your structure to weather naturally, many customers choose to add colour to their frames by using a proprietary wood stain to blend with the landscape or perhaps to match school colours.

All instruments have been inspected by The Play Inspection Company (www.playinspections.co.uk) who have confirmed their compliance with EN1176.

All Freenotes outdoor musical instruments (with the exception of the Tubano Drums) are supplied with two durable mallets made to withstand the outdoor elements, they are attached to the instrument with coated steel cables. As all of our instruments can be played by more than one person at the same time, additional mallets can be purchased and attached to the instruments.

Spare parts and replacement mallets are available from Freenotes Ltd or your chosen distributor.

Freenotes outdoor musical instruments are simple to install and are available with a variety of stands and bases to fit into almost any location. All Freenotes instruments are supplied with full installation and maintenance instructions.

Freenotes outdoor musical instruments require little maintenance. Notes can be kept clean merely by regular wiping with a soft cloth. The Amandinda’s notes can be oiled from time to time to maintain their rich lustre.

For full terms & conditions see our website www.freenotes.eu

Maintenance

Grease and dirt deposits may be removed from aluminium notes by using solvents such as white spirit in conjunction with a soft cloth or soft bristle brush. On no account should harsh abrasives be used for cleaning. Components permanently exposed to atmospheric weathering should have the protection of thick anodic films of the order of 25 mircometres (AA25) and should be cleaned not less than four times a year. In very severe environments more frequent cleaning is recommended.