bell

Also known as bells

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).

AI overview

A bell is a percussion instrument made from a hollow cup-shaped object that produces sound when struck, either by an internal clapper, an external hammer, or a loose sphere inside it. Bells matter because their curved design creates an efficient resonator that vibrates to produce a strong, clear tone when struck.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Instrument.name: Bell
Instrument.image: Parts of a Bell.svg
Instrument.image_capt: Parts of a typical tower bell hung for swinging:
Instrument.background: percussion
Instrument.classification: Struck idiophone
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs: 111.242
Instrument.hornbostel_sachs_desc: Bells: Percussion vessels with the vibration weakest near the vertex
Instrument.range: From very high to very low
Instrument.related: Chimes, cowbell, handbell, gong

via Wikipedia infobox

Described at

Skosmos: HornbostelAndSachs: Bells

mimo-db.eu →

... Idiophones Struck idiophones Idiophones struck directly Percussion idiophones Percussion vessels Bells Percussion vessels, owing to the solidity and elasticity of their substance, vibrate and radiate sound when struck either with non-sonorous objects (hand, stick, striker) or against non-sonorous objects. The vibration is weakest near the vertex of the struck surface. The player creates clearly defined individual strokes. (en)

Excerpt from a page describing this subject · 4,383 chars · not written by Vinony

Wikidata facts

Official name: פעמון
Image: Church bell cutaway.png

Show 7 more facts

MCN code: 8306.10.00
Unicode character: 🔔
Commons category: Bells
Hornbostel-Sachs classification: 111.242
Commons gallery: Bell
described at URL: www.mimo-db.eu/HornbostelAndSachs/27
P8168: Mathenay

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~30 min read

Article

28 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Styles of ringing
Church and temple bells
Bells in Japanese religion
Bells in Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism
Bellfounding
Casting
Bell tuning
Major third bell
Use in clock chimes
Notable bells
Usage as musical instruments
Ancient Chinese bells
Konguro'o
Chimes
Skrabalai
Farm bells
Dead bell
Bell study and ringing organizations
Gallery
See also
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
Further reading
External links

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.