Hand Bell Ringing Techniques

Flip out break apart a four in hand configuration and end up with the primary bell in the opposite hand.

Hand bell ringing techniques.

Throw the clapper down using the hand while the thumb guides the clapper against the strike point. The cd is executed after ringing a handbell particularly a large handbell slide a gloved hand or finger s up the outside of the handbell toward the rim of the casting. Varying degrees of pressure will control the diminuendo. The effect simulates a forte piano.

This produces a crisp percussive sound. I suggest sitting in the middle of a bed because you ll drop the bells while learning. Change ringing can also be performed on handbells where it becomes a contrast to the melodic music of handbell choirs. It is most familiar to the public as the sound of church bells.

Handbells 101 the basic ringing stroke damping and understanding handbells as an instrument. Bell matters is a series of videos developed by blanche marie lewis handbell specialist to demonstrate a variety of handbell techniques. Plucking is a stopped sound technique used primarily in the bass clef c5 and lower. Ring the primary bell.

With bass bells lying on the foam pads grasp the clapper with the fingers keeping the thumb on top. Practice with two small bells in ring and knock configuration in your right or dominant hand. This technique may be used when a soft ring follows a loud ring with the same handbell s. Handbell techniques basic bell techniques including stopped sounds sustained sounds and altered sounds taught both as a half day workshop and as a 10 week series for adult beginners weaving managing multiple bells without using four in hand.

Demonstrate the ergonomic execution of each of the four in hand techniques for handbells parallel ring parallel push aka shelley ring and push british japanese style reverse stacked ring and push interlocked ring and push and interlocked british japanese style aka campanile including ringing together and separately damping articulations and changes to the primary and secondary instruments. Change ringing is a form of traditional music based on sequences permutations and patterns.