A handbell is a bell A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck. The striking implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known as a clapper, a small, free sphere enclosed within the body of the bell or a separate mallet or designed to be rung by hand. To ring a handbell, a ringer grasps the bell by its slightly flexible handle — traditionally made of leather, but often now made of plastic — and moves the wrist to make the hinged clapper inside the bell strike. An individual handbell can be used simply as a signal to catch people's attention or summon them together, but handbells are generally heard in tuned sets.[citation needed]

Contents

History

See also: Change Ringing Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody and Bell (instrument) A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck. The striking implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known as a clapper, a small, free sphere enclosed within the body of the bell or a separate mallet or

The first tuned handbells were developed by brothers Robert and William Cor in Aldbourne, Wiltshire Wiltshire is characterised by its high downland and wide valleys. Salisbury Plain is famous as the location of the Stonehenge stone circle and other ancient landmarks and as the main training area in the UK of the British Army. The city of Salisbury is notable for its medieval cathedral. Important country houses open to the public include Longleat,, England The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years, but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant between 1696 and 1724.[1] The Cor brothers originally made latten The term Latten refers loosely to copper alloys, much like brass, employed in the Middle Ages and through to the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, for items such as decorative effect on borders, rivets or other details of metalwork and for funerary effigies. It was commonly formed in thin sheets and used to make church utensils. Brass of this bells for hame boxes,[2] but for reasons unknown, they began tuning their bells more finely to have an accurate fundamental tone, and fitted them with hinged clappers that only moved in one plane.[1]

Originally, tuned sets of handbells, such as the ones made by the Cor brothers, were used by change ringers Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody to rehearse outside their towers. Rather than standing for hours in a draughty tower, they could sit comfortably indoors while they practiced the complicated algorithms of change ringing. The handbell sets used by change ringers had the same number of bells as in the towers — generally six or 12 tuned to a diatonic scale In music theory, a diatonic scale is a seven note octave-repeating musical scale comprising five whole steps and two half steps for each octave, in which the two half steps are separated from each other by either two or three whole steps. This pattern ensures that, in a diatonic scale spanning more than one octave, all the half steps are maximally. [3]

Handbells were first brought to the United States from England by Margaret Shurcliff in 1902. She was presented with a set of 10 handbells in London by Arthur Hughes, the general manager of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry after completing two separate two-and-a-half-hour change ringing peals in one day.[4]

Terminology

Two English Handbells, manufactured by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

The bells used in American handbell choirs are almost always English handbells. "English handbells" is a reference to a specific type of handbells, not to the country of origin. While some American handbell choirs do use bells made in England, the majority play bells made either by Malmark Bellcraftsmen or by Schulmerich Carillons, both based in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania has 51 miles of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.

In the United Kingdom, there is a distinction between "American handbells" and "English handbells" — "English handbells" are traditional, with leather clapper heads and handles (such as the bells Whitechapel makes), while "American handbells" use modern materials, such as plastic and rubber, to produce the same effect (such as those produced by Malmark and Schulmerich). In America, however, they are all called English handbells.

Characteristics

The two major defining characteristics of English handbells are their clappers and ability to produce overtones Pitched musical instruments are often based on an approximate harmonic oscillator such as a string or a column of air, which oscillates at numerous frequencies simultaneously. At these resonant frequencies, waves travel in both directions along the string or air column, reinforcing and canceling each other to form standing waves. Interaction with. The clapper on an English handbell is on a hinge and moves back and forth in a single direction, unlike a school bell in which the clapper swings freely in any direction. It also has a spring that holds the clapper away from the casting after the strike to allow the bell to ring freely. Furthermore, the shaft of the clapper is rigid, such that the bell may be held with its mouth facing upward. The overtones on an English handbell are a 12th (an octave and a perfect fifth) above the fundamental, while Dutch handbells — such as Petit & Fritsen — focus on the overtone a minor 10th (an octave and a minor third) or a major 10th (an octave and a major third) above the fundamental. Manufacturers give their attention to each bell's overtones, being especially careful to give all the bells in a set a consistent harmonic profile. Each of the foundries has a unique formula for emphasizing or de-emphasizing certain harmonic overtones to produce that bellmaker's unique sound.

Handbells can weigh as little as 7 oz (200 g) or upwards of 18 lb (8.2 kg)[5].

Handbell performance

A girls handbell choir during a performance.

A handbell choir or handbell ensemble (in the United States) or handbell team (in England) is a group that rings recognizable music with melodies A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a sequence of pitches and durations, while, more figuratively, the term has occasionally been extended to include successions of other musical elements such as tone color and harmony In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic line, or the "horizontal" aspect, as opposed to the mathematical permutations used in change ringing. The bells used generally include all notes of the chromatic scale The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve equally spaced pitches, each a semitone apart. A chromatic scale is a nondiatonic scale having no tonic due to the symmetry of its equally spaced tones within the range of the bell set. While a smaller group uses only 25 bells (two octaves In music, an octave ( Play ) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon which has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music," the use of which is "common in most musical systems." It may be derived from the harmonic series as the, G4-G6), the sets are often larger, ranging up to an eight-octave set (97 bells, C1-C9). The bells are typically arranged chromatically on foam-covered tables; these tables protect the bronze surface of the bell, as well as keep the bells from rolling when placed on their sides. Unlike an orchestra or choir in which each musician is responsible for one line of the texture, a bell ensemble acts as one instrument, with each musician responsible for particular notes, sounding his or her assigned bells whenever that note appears in the music.

Handbell music

Handbell choirs generally ring music composed or arranged specifically for the instruments because of their highly resonant sound, the limited note range of a handbell set, and the unique pitch-by-pitch division of the staff among the ringers.[citation needed]

The coordination of the bell ringers requires a different approach than other ensembles. All the ringers read from a complete score. This score is similar to a piano score, but with an additional convention: The C# above middle C In classical music, the expression "Middle C" refers to the note "C" located exactly between the two staves of the grand staff and near the top and bottom, respectively, of the bass and soprano voices. When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of the middle C note is and all notes below are always written in the bass clef A clef is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Placed on one of the lines at the beginning of the staff, it indicates the name and pitch of the notes on that line. This line serves as a reference point by which the names of the notes on any other line or space of the staff may be determined, and the Db above middle C and all notes above are always written in the treble clef A clef is a musical symbol used to indicate the pitch of written notes. Placed on one of the lines at the beginning of the staff, it indicates the name and pitch of the notes on that line. This line serves as a reference point by which the names of the notes on any other line or space of the staff may be determined. (This formatting is not always the convention for solo and small-ensemble handbell music.) Handbell music is written one octave lower than the actual sound the bells make, so a "middle C bell" or bell is actually playing a note with a high C frequency[6]. (For simplicity, the bell would still always be referred to as middle C or as C5.)

There are also a number of abbreviations and notations used exclusively or almost exclusively in handbell music: LV ("laissez vibrer" or "let vibrate," similar to a piano's sustain pedal); R ("ring," regular ringing or meaning to end the LV); SK ("shake," i.e. shaking the bell continuously during the duration of the note); TD ("thumb damp" — ringing the bell with a thumb on the casting to create a staccato note); PL ("pluck," which means to throw down the clapper while the bell lies on the table); a small, solid triangle ("martellato" — to strike bell against padding of the table, pushing the casting firmly against padding as to quickly dampen sound); SW ("swing" — to play the bell in a normal position, swing it down to the waist, then bring it and back up); BD ("brush damp," brushing the rim of the bell against the ringer's chest to cause a quick diminuendo); and an upward arrow, usually with a curve at the bottom ("echo," — ringing the bell and then touching it very briefly to the table, creating an echo effect)[7].

Due to handbells' relative rarity outside of the confines of church services—although less so now than in the 1980s and early 1990s—the majority of pieces composed and arranged for handbells last approximately four minutes. A few composers and arrangers write longer and more intricate works for handbells; generally these pieces use handbells in combination with other instruments.

Ringing techniques

To ring a handbell, the ringer moves it in such a way that the clapper strikes the inside surface of the bell, usually holding it against his or her shoulder, bell-upwards, and then swinging the bell through an elliptical shape to cause the clapper to strike the casting of the bell. The tone of the bell will continue to resonate, decaying naturally until it stops completely, or until the ringer stops the tone by damping the bell with a hand, on the body, or on a padded surface.[8]

Handbell techniques have changed very much over the years. Donald Allured, founding director of Westminster Concert Bell Choir, is credited with fully realizing an American "off the table" style of ringing that includes many non-ringing sound effects including stopped techniques such as plucking the clapper with the bell on the table. He is also credited for promoting precise damping or stopping of the bell sound by touching the bell casting to a soft surface, in the service of more musical results.[citation needed]

Multiple bell techniques

Traditional ringing technique only allows one ringer to ring two bells at a time (one in each hand). Depending on the number of bells needed for a particular piece of music and the number of ringers in a choir, it may be necessary for each ringer to ring more than two bells at a time or in short succession. There are also many techniques that change the sound of the bell as it is rung.

Four bells

There are two main ways of ringing two handbells with one hand: four-in-hand and Shelley. In the four-in-hand technique, ringers hold two bells in one hand with the clappers at right angles to each other. This allows the ringer to either move the hand normally ("ring" - Primary Bell) or ring knuckles-first ("knock" - Secondary Bell) to ring two different bells independently with the same hand (for a total of four bells when ringing with both hands). The two bells can also be played together by holding the wrist at a 45 degree angle. Two opposing viewpoints exist regarding the merits of this technique: while some believe that Shelley ringing is rendered obsolete when four-in-hand is perfected, others believe that the control, balance and precision offered by Shelley ringing makes the technique more applicable in certain ringing situations (particularly those involving other techniques, such as shaking and martellato, which are nearly impossible to "perfect" with four-in-hand ringing).

In large ensembles, Four-in-hand is typically used to ring multiple positions or pick up accidentals.

Shelley ringing is similar, except that the clappers are each positioned the same direction. Using this technique, a ringer can then ring two bells simultaneously with one movement. Shelley is typically used to ring two notes, an octave apart. The motion of the clappers in the same plane makes feasible techniques which generally require this, such as martellato, vibrato and shake, all of which are difficult (if not impossible) to achieve with four-in-hand ringing. The Shelley technique can also be used to ring two notes separately by striking the primary bell sideways and the secondary bell forward in an action like tapping your fingers.[9]

Six bells

There are several ways to play six bells at a time (i.e., to ring three bells in each hand). One way is to pick two bells up as if you were Shelly ringing, then pick the third up between your pinky and ring fingers (a 'triple shelly'). All three bells ring together when ringing in a knocking motion. A second way is to pick up the third bell sideways so that the clapper swings outward. Ringers with good control can then ring the first bell without ringing the third bell, allowing the ringer to play three different notes in one hand. [10]

Weaving

Weaving is the technique of playing a succession of bells by changing which bell is in each hand as required. This is used by bass bell ringers and solo/small ensemble ringers. The large size and weight of bass bells makes four-in-hand ringing impractical and often a solo or small ensemble ringer will need to move up and down a range of bells, possibly sharing them with others. This technique means that more than two bells can be rung in short succession, using the table to damp the bell and free the hand to pick up the next bell. If the ringing sequence requires bells to be rung in tonal order, this technique often results in a weaving pattern as the ringer must often reach across their body for the next bell in the sequence. [11] Weaving can also be used in combination with the four-in-hand in a technique called "traveling four-in-hand". By combining the ability to hold two bells in each hand, with the ability to quickly drop and pick up the secondary bell of a Four-in-hand, a ringer has quick access to several bells.

Other techniques

All kinds of mallets by Malmark.

There are other ways to play music with handbells besides traditional ringing. Other techniques include plucking, shaking (or trilling), table damping (or martellato This is a list of musical terms that are likely to be encountered in printed scores, music reviews, and program notes. Most of the terms are Italian , in accordance with the Italian origins of many European musical conventions. Sometimes, the special musical meanings of these phrases differ from the original or current Italian meanings. Most of), and malleting bells (both on the table and suspended).

Plucking is accomplished by using the thumb and forefinger to force the clapper head into the casting while the bell is on the table, producing a staccato Staccato is a form of musical articulation, signifying an unconnected note, which is short and detached. It has been used in musical notation since the early 18th century.[citation needed] Staccato is derived from the Italian word staccare meaning to detach. It may also originate from the Old French word estachier, which comes from the latin tone.[12]

Shaking is accomplished by rapidly ringing the bell back and forth so that the clapper strikes both the front and back of the bell casting in quick succession. This technique created a continuous tone, as opposed to normal ringing in which the tone decays rapidly after being rung. Because of their size, bass bells are rarely shaken.[13]

Martellato also creates a staccato tone and is accomplished by striking the bell into the foam-covered table in such a way that the clapper strikes the casting immediately after the bell strikes the foam. A variation, called a "Mart Lift" is accomplished by lifting the bell casting off the table very soon after the clapper strikes. This creates a staccato tone followed by a softened sounding of the bell.[citation needed]

Malleting bells involves using one of several types of rubber, plastic or yarn-wrapped mallet A mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of wood, smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head to strike the casting of the bell. This can create a staccato tone when the casing is pressed into foam, a normal ringing tone when the bell is suspended or even a drum-roll effect when multiple mallets are used. Suspended malleting can be employed to create a bell tree which allows many bells to be played by one ringer.[14]

Echo technique adds a brief pulse of increased volume to a sustained handbell note. This is accomplished by gently touching the rim of a vibrating bell to the padded table.[citation needed]

The sound of the Singing Bell technique is similar to the sound a wine glass makes as its rim is stroked with a wet fingertip, and is accomplished in much the same way. A short wooden dowel or stick is touched to the outside of the rim of a handbell, which is being held in the other hand. The dowel is then used to stroke the rim of the bell in a circular or "stirring" motion.[citation needed]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hand bell

External links

Notes

  1. ^ a b Markey, Willard H. (May/June, 1997), "More History?: From Hame Boxes to Handbells", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 43 (3): 36–37
  2. ^ A hame box is a device that attaches to the top of a horse collar A horse collar is a part of a horse harness device used to distribute load around a horse's neck and shoulders when pulling a wagon or plow. The collar often supports a pair of curved metal or wood pieces, called hames, to which the traces of the harness are attached. The collar allows a horse to use its full strength when pulling, essentially and contains several bells that ring when the horse moves. For more information about the Cor brothers and a picture of a hame box, see A Brief History of The Aldbourne Bell Foundries.
  3. ^ Theile, Ron. "The History of Handbell Ringing". http://handbellringers.com/handbell_history.html. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  4. ^ Bullen, Nigel (March/April, 1998), "Researching the History of Handbells: In the Beginning", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 44 (2): 37–38
  5. ^ http://www.olypen.com/nwbell/handbell/sidenote/bell_weights.html, accessed 10/09/09
  6. ^ Schmidt-Jones, Catherine. "Transposing Instruments". http://cnx.org/content/m10672/latest/. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  7. ^ http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kingsbur/articulations.html, accessed 10/09/09
  8. ^ Moore, Daniel K. (May/June, 1998), "Technique-ly Speaking: The Basic Ringing Stroke/Shoulder Damp", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 44 (3): 10–11
  9. ^ Leonard, Karen E. (September/October, 2000), "Technique-ly Speaking: Shelley Ringing", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 46 (5): 13–14
  10. ^ Anderson, Christine (2000-01-14). "Multiple Bells In-Hand". http://www.knology.net/~jkearns/faqtechniques.htm#Four-in-hand/Shelley. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
  11. ^ Allured, Don (May/June, 1999), "Technique-ly Speaking: The Weave and Other Multiple Bell Doings", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 45 (3): 41–44
  12. ^ http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kingsbur/articulations.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  13. ^ Ebling-Thorne, Kathy (September/October, 1998), "Technique-ly Speaking: The Shake and The Trill - What a Thrill!", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 44 (5): 9–10
  14. ^ Frier, Louise (September/October, 1999), "Technique-ly Speaking: Malleting Suspended Handbells", Overtones: the Official Journal of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers 45 (5): 14–16
Percussion instruments A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. The term usually applies to an object used in a rhythmic context or with musical intent
Tuned agogô An agogô is a single or multiple bell now used throughout the world but with origins in traditional Yoruba music and also in the samba baterias (percussion ensembles). The agogô may be the oldest samba instrument and was based on West African Yoruba single or double bells. The agogô has the highest pitch of any of the bateria instruments · balafon The balafon is a resonated frame, wooden keyed percussion idiophone of West Africa; part of the idiophone family of tuned percussion instruments that includes the xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, and the vibraphone. Sound is produced by striking the tuned keys with two padded sticks · bell A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck. The striking implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known as a clapper, a small, free sphere enclosed within the body of the bell or a separate mallet or · bells · bonang The bonang is a musical instrument used in the Javanese gamelan. It is a collection of small gongs placed horizontally onto strings in a wooden frame (rancak), either one or two rows wide. All of the kettles have a central boss, but around it the lower-pitched ones have a flattened head, while the higher ones have an arched one. Each is tuned to a · caisa · carillon A carillon is a musical instrument that is usually housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord. A carillon is played by striking a keyboard called a & · celesta The celesta or celeste (pronounced /sɨˈlɛst/) is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano (four- or five-octave) or of a large wooden music box (three-octave). The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal (usually steel) plates suspended over wooden resonators · chimes Tubular bells are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm (1¼–1½ inches) in diameter, tuned by altering its length. They range from c1 to f2 (Helmholtz). Tubular bells are often replaced by studio chimes, which are a smaller and usually less expensive instrument. Studio chimes are similar in · crotales Crotales , sometimes called antique cymbals, are percussion instruments consisting of small, tuned bronze or brass disks. Each is about 4 inches in diameter with a flat top surface and a nipple on the base. They are commonly played by being struck with hard mallets. However, they may also be played by striking two disks together in the same manner · glockenspiel A glockenspiel [German Glocken + spielen (to play)] is a percussion instrument, composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, thus making it a metallophone. The · gong A gong is an East and South East Asian musical instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet · handbell · handchime Handchimes are musical instruments which are rung by hand, similar to handbells. Typically, they are tuned square tubes with an external clapper mechanism. Many handbell techniques can also be applied to handchimes · hang A Hang [haŋ] is a harmonically tuned steel idiophone created by PANArt in Switzerland. It uses some of the same physical principles as a steelpan but with a nitrided surface and structural change of having two clamped shells with a small opening so that the instrument is a Helmholtz Resonator. The creation of the Hang was the result of many years · jaltarang The Jal Tarang , Jaltarang, Jal-tarang, Jal-yantra, Jalatarangam or Jalatharangam, is an traditional Indian musical instrument used in Hindustani classical music. It is rarely seen or heard, even though the gentle tinkle of its unique sound is quite pleasing. Literally Jaltarang means "waves in water" but indicates motion of sound · kulintang Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally-laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong-chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for many centuries in regions of the Eastern · kulintang a kayo The kulintang a kayo is a Philippine xylophone of the Maguindanaon people with eight tuned slabs arranged horizontally atop a wooden antangan (rack). Made of soft wood such as bayug, the kulintang a kayo is a common found among Maguindanaon households with a musical background. Traditionally, it was used for self-entertainment purpose inside the · marimba The marimba ( pronunciation ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. Keys or bars (usually made of wood) are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys (similar to a piano) to aid the performer both visually and · octoban · piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is widely known as one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in Classical music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, · skrabalai · steelpan Steelpans is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. Steel pan musicians are called pannists · timpani Timpani are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper, and more recently, constructed of more lightweight fiberglass. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet. Unlike · tubular bells Tubular bells are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm (1¼–1½ inches) in diameter, tuned by altering its length. They range from c1 to f2 (Helmholtz). Tubular bells are often replaced by studio chimes, which are a smaller and usually less expensive instrument. Studio chimes are similar in · vibraphone The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the mallet subfamily of the percussion family · xylophone The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family which probably originated independently in Africa and Asia. It consists of wooden bars of various lengths that are struck by plastic, wooden, or rubber mallets. Each bar is tuned to a specific pitch of the musical scale. The term "xylophone" can refer to Western-style concert
Non-tuned agogô An agogô is a single or multiple bell now used throughout the world but with origins in traditional Yoruba music and also in the samba baterias (percussion ensembles). The agogô may be the oldest samba instrument and was based on West African Yoruba single or double bells. The agogô has the highest pitch of any of the bateria instruments · bass drum A bass drum is a relatively large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The bass drums are of variable sizes and are used in several musical genres (see usage below). Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished: the large orchestral bass drum, the smaller 'kick' drum, and the pitched bass drums. The type usually · batá drum · bell tree · bock-a-da-bock The Bock-a-da-bock is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is made up of two metal discs, usually steel, formed into a domed shape · bodhrán The bodhrán is an Irish frame drum ranging from 25 to 65 cm (10" to 26") in diameter, with most drums measuring 35 to 45 cm (14" to 18"). The sides of the drum are 9 to 20 cm (3½" to 8") deep. A goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads, or other animal skins are sometimes used). The other side is open · bongo drum · cabasa · cajón · castanets · chácaras · china cymbal · clapsticks · claves · cowbell · conga · crash cymbal · cymbal · djembe · darabouka · dayereh · flexatone · floor tom · gong · güiro · headless tambourine · hi-hat · jam block · maracas · mark tree · mendoza · pandeiro · ratchet · ride cymbal · rototom · rute · sizzle cymbal · snare drum · splash cymbal · spoons · swish cymbal · tabor · tambourine · temple blocks · thunder sheet · timbales · tom-tom · triangle · vibraslap · washboard · whip · wind chime · wood block
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