A bell () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that—when struck—vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell (jingle bell).

Bells are usually cast from bell metal (a type of bronze) for its resonant properties, but can also be made from other hard materials. This depends on the function. Some small bells (such as ornamental bells or cowbells) can be made from cast or pressed metal, glass or ceramic, but large bells (such as a church, clock, and tower bells) are normally cast from bell metal.

Bells intended to be heard over a wide area can range from a single bell hung in a turret or bell-gable, to a musical ensemble such as an English ring of bells, a carillon or a Russian zvon which are tuned to a common scale and installed in a bell tower. Many public or institutional buildings house bells, most commonly as clock bells to sound the hours and quarters.

Historically, bells have been associated with religious rites, and are still used to call communities together for religious services. Later, bells were made to commemorate important events or people and have been associated with the concepts of peace and freedom. The study of bells is called campanology.

Etymology

thumb|13th c. BC bell, [[Shang dynasty]]

Bell is a word common to the Low German dialects, cognate with Middle Low German and Dutch but not appearing among the other Germanic languages except the Icelandic which was a loanword from Old English. Among the ancient Greeks, handbells were used in camps and garrisons and by patrols that went around to visit sentinels. Among the Romans, the hour of bathing was announced by a bell. They also used them in the home, as an ornament and emblem, and bells were placed around the necks of cattle and sheep so they could be found if they strayed.

In the fifth-century Celtic Church of Britain, small handbells were made from sheet iron, first folded and riveted, and then brazed with molten copper. As late as the 10th century CE, European bells were no higher than 2 feet in height.

Styles of ringing

thumb|Static bells struck by [[solenoid-operated hammers in a bell-gable]]

thumb|Mechanism of a bell hung for English full-circle ringing. The bell can swing through a full circle in alternate directions.

thumb|English full-circle bells shown in the "down" position, in which they are normally left between ringing sessions

thumb|English full-circle bells shown in the "up" position

In the western world, the common form of bell is a church bell or town bell, which is hung within a tower or bell cote. Such bells are either fixed in a static position ("hung dead") or mounted on a beam (the "headstock") so they can swing to and fro. Bells that are hung dead are normally sounded by hitting the sound bow with a hammer or occasionally by pulling an internal clapper against the bell.

A bell can be swung in a small arc with a rope and lever or higher with a rope and wheel. As it swings higher, the sound projects outward instead of downward. Larger bells may be swung using electric motors. In some places, such as the Salzburg Cathedral, the clapper is held against the sound bow with an electric clasp as the bell swings up. The clasp would release the clapper to provide a cleaner start to ringing. To silence the bell, the clasp catches and locks the clapper back in place. Their special shape allows them to produce two different musical tones depending on where they are struck. The interval between these notes on each bell is either a major or minor third, equivalent to a distance of four or five notes on a piano.

The bells of Marquis Yi were still fully playable after almost 2500 years. Though their range spans slightly less than five octaves, the dual-tone capability of each bell allows the complete set to sound a 12-tone scale, predating the European 12-tone system by some 2000 years. The bells are also capable of playing melodies in diatonic and pentatonic scales.

Sources

Further reading

  • Fadul, Jose A. Fadul's Encyclopedia of Bells. 2015. Lulu Press.
  • Murdoch, James. (1903). A History of Japan. London: Paul, Trench, Trubner. [re-issued by Routledge, London, 1996.
  • Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869. Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society.
  • Spencer, Ann "And round me rings": bell tales and folklore. Toronto: Tundra, 2003
  • Willis, Stephen Charles. Bells through the Ages: from the Percival Price Collection = Les Cloches à travers les siècles: provenant du fonds Percival Price. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1986. 34 p., ill. with b&w photos. N.B.: Prepared on the occasion of an exhibition of the same title, based on the collection of bell and carillon related material and documentation, of former Dominion Carillonneur (of Canadian Parliament, Ottawa), Percival Price, held at the National Library of Canada (as then named), 12 May to 14 Sept. 1986; some copies come with the guide to the taped dubbings of the recordings played as background music to the displays, as technically prepared by Gilles Saint-Laurent and listed by Stephen Charles Willis, both of the library's Music Division; English and French texts respectively divided into upper and lower portions of each page.
  • What Do Bells Symbolize Spiritually
  • Tower Bells
  • Bell recordings of the Basque Country
  • 'Bells in Aragón: a traditional means of communication' thesis (Spanish)
  • Animation of English Full-circle ringing
  • Videos of the London Olympic bell being cast, tuned and installed.