Bell

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Bell
Family Idiophone
Sachs-Hornbostell index 111.242




Definition

A hollow, cup-shaped instrument that produces vibrations when struck. In visual representations, bells may appear alone (e.g. handbells) or as a set (e.g. carillon). The bell had pride of place among medieval instruments. Bells are typically made of metal, but can also be clay or glass.

In iconography, representations of David playing the carillon are ubiquitous. Bells are also played by angles and hybrid forms, and frequently appear on the clothing of fools.

Other names include: tintinnabulum, which typically signifies a small bell. Paulus Paulirinus (1413-c.1471) describes the carillon (a metal instrument struck with mallets, cambucella, that produces several harmonized sounds) separately.

(Fr.) cloche; (Ger.) Glocke; (It., Sp.) campana.

Types of bells:

  • Handbell: as implied by the name, handbells are designed to be rung by hand, containing a clapper within the resonator.
  • Carillon: a stationary set of tuned bells, struck by a performer.
  • Church Bell: typically hung from steeples or bell towers, church bells were used for a variety of functions, such as marking services, funerals or other events. In the 14th and 15th centuries, these bells began to be tuned, and used to perform excerpts of liturgical melodies.
  • Jingle Bells: a cluster of small bells, usually imprecise in pitch.

Examples of Bells


Resources

Bell(i), Percival Price, Charles Bodman Rae and James Blades. Grove Music Online, Copyright © Oxford University Press 2001

APEMUTAM - Cloche


... more about "Bell"
111.242 +
Bell(i), Percival Price, Charles Bodman Rae and James Blades. Grove Music Online, Copyright © Oxford University Press 2001 +  and APEMUTAM - Cloche +
Metal +, Clay +  and Glass +