Hand Bell
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Handbells usually come in sets tuned to the notes of the scale. Choirs (teams) of ringers use the bells to play tunes. This demands careful timing and nimble fingers. A quick flick of the wrist makes the clapper inside the bell strike the rim. Handbell ringing is popular in Britain and the United States where choirs of 10 or 12 ringers play large sets of handbells.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| None. |
| Material |
| Brass. |
| Size |
| Variable : the largest common handbell is 12 in (30 cm) in diameter ; the smallest is 2 in (5 cm). |
| Origins |
| The oldest handbells in existence are from 1600 B.C. China. Handbell-ringing in Europe dates back about 800 years. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| In England during the 19th century, groups of bell-ringers played up to as many as 200 bells when performing selections of popular music of the day. |
