The Art & Scienceof

Hand Bell RingingBY

Rev. J. M. TurnerFile – 01: The Entire Book

This document is provided for you by

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THE ART & SCIENCEOF

HAND BELL RINGING

by

JOHN MAURICE TURNER, B.D. (LOND.)

RECTOR OF WASHFIELD

DEVON

Pu blished byT HE B OOKSJlOP, TIVERTO N

Printed byJ AMES T OW NSEND & SO NS . LTD .,

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ERRATA.

For sharpens read flattens.For flattens it read sharpens it.

(vice-versa.)

Musical sounds are caused by the regular and periodic vibrationof any object, whether it be by wind, as a flute, or by strings as a violin,or by percussion as a bell. As before remarked, every note that is anoctave higher than another gives forth double the number of vibrationsa second . The intermediate notes vibrate in the proportion of I ~ , 11,1t, 1t, 1J, I~ to the lower note, which will be the key note .

The very simplicity of its manipulation separates the hand bellfrom every other kind of musical instrument. And an elementaryknowledge of music may be picked up by every hand bell ringer .

Hand bell ringing differs from all other kinds of music, because itis team work. Nearly all instruments, both wind and string, give awide range of notes, whereas the bell only gives one sound . Andthough hand bells yield some of the sweetest music they are sadlyneglected. Musical journals take no cognisance of them and Churchbell ringers as a rule look upon the art of hand bell tune ringing withcontempt. Comparatively speaking, very few Church bell ringers takeany interest in hand bells even for change ringing . And yet, strangeto say, most people expect Church bell ringers to ring tunes on handbells.

There is an art in ringing a hand bell. The strangeness of holdingthe bell by a leathern strap handle has to be overcome. The motionof the clapper , strictly to and fro, has to be noted. The bell shouldbe rung simply by a wrist movement. Then there is the regulating thevolume of the sound of the bell, loud or soft . There are two pieces ofsoft metal under the crown of the bell and on each side of the clapper.They must be pressed closer together to allow a less swing of theclapper and widened out to allow a more free swing.

The ringing of a hand bell is not learned in five minutes. Thebell must be firmly grasped by the strap close up to the top. As themotion of the hand is normally up and down, the bell should be soheld that the clapper rises and falls.

And now we come more particularly to the art of ringing the upstroke . The ringer will find at first that it is much easier to ring down-ward than upward. The up stroke is accomplished by putting a kindof brake with the thumb pressed on the top of the bell.

6

D c B AI LLU ST RATI ON OF LECTURE No . I.

LAST PARAGRAPH .

And lastly, the great feat of ringing two bells in each hand so thateach ringer can ring four bells at one time.

Place the four bells on the table, left to right, up the scale likethe notes of a piano, e.g. A, B, C, D . Put your forefingers in the formof the V sign, slide them down the straps A and C, palm inwards,grasp Band D firmly in the hollow of the thumb and lift each withmouth upwards. You will now find the clappers are at right angles.A downward movement will ring one bell alone and a sideways move-ment the other alone. Remember that it is the wrist movement thatis essential, not from the shoulder or the elbow.

This accomplishment enables two ringers to manipulate eightbells and six ringers to have the range of three octaves.

8

LECTURE No. 2

Man made a great stride forward when musical sounds were putdown in writing and thus prevented tunes being lost. The method ofwriting musical sounds, which slowly and gradually evolved, is mostadmirable and very simple and easy to acquire. All that a ringer wantsto know is what note his bell represents and ring it at the proper timewhen that note comes along in the music.

One reason why hand bell ringers are reluctant to play frommusic is that they have not learnt to transpose the keys. You cannotchange the key of a set of bells, they remain the same for ever. Butyou can transpose the written music and if your bells are in the Keyof G for instance, put whatever tune you wish to play into that Key,ignoring the letter on the strap and calling the bell by the note requiredin the music.

By this method of transposing the Key, a set of bells can play anypiece of music of a simple nature. And by this method hand bellringing will be a joy and delight. A knowledge of Tonic Sol-fa will beuseful here.

Each note in the range of vocal and instrumental music can berecorded on the familiar pair of five lines called Clefs, the Bassand theTreble.

TREBLE CLEF

BASS CLEF

The notes are placed on the lines and in the spaces, higher or loweras the case may be according to the pitch of the note.

The note which is within the range of every human voice and isabout the central one on the piano and is also the centre of the Clefsis C. Any object that vibrates 264 to the second gives forth this note.If we draw a line between two sets of the five staves and placed a noteon that line, that note would be C. From that centre we can workupwards and downwards, naming the notes according to the first seven

9

letters of the alphabet. The eighth note comes in unison with thefirst, so we start the seven letters again. The eight notes are called anOctave from the Latin Octo for eight. Here are all the notes in thespaces and on the lines of the two Clefs.

F G A a c 0 E F G A Be 0 E l: CA B c o E F G

This is the foundation of the science of music and it is essential forevery beginner to know these notes so that when he has his bell corre-sponding thereto, he will be able to play the note at the proper time.

Having learnt these notes, the following simple tunes may beplayed on a set of six bells if the bottom bell is the key note or Doh .

o let Him whose sorrow. A. and M. 286

G

Ed W J #¥t li""Il ffiG E

~=;;#2L~~~~ODE F- G

~=*4AA ~ nP: FD A c

Lord, in this Thy mercy's day. A. and M. 94.

In transposing the key of any tune to suit the bells, take no noticeof the letter marked on the bell st rap. In the first tunc , call yourbottom or key note D and the second tune E. Follow on in alphabeticalorder and the tune will come out all right.

10

LECTURE No. 3

Having learnt the lines and spaces of the notes, the next thing isto know the value of the notes, the Time and Bars.

The form of the notes indicates their duration and the followingare the principal kinds ;-

1 Semibreve equals 2 Minim s or 4 Crot chets or 8 Quaversor 16 Semi-quavers in duration.

These are all that arc necessary for hand bell ringer s to learn.

Music is spaced out by lines called Bars. Sometimes there arethree crotchets to a bar . This is called triple time and is indicated atthe commencement of the piece as i . Sometimes there are fourcrotchets to a bar. This is called Common Time and indicated by a C.There are other kinds of time, and every piece of music has its timeindicated by its signature.

Before a hand bel1 ringer begins to ring he must notice the notein the music which corresponds with his bell and how often he has toring it and when. He must also notice the duration of the note he hasto play and also the note before it, so as not to come in too quick ortoo slow.

The following is a tune for eight bells :-

When at Thy footstool, Lord , I bend . A. and M. 245.

i§JfFc~ j J]d@¥biBH

~~~&lliCal1 the key note or the bottom bell E and count up to the next E.

Here is another tune for eight bells ;-

Thy way, not mine, 0 Lord. A. and M. 265.

~~gE~§$t~~

~~=:ttJ=-~'1The key note or Doh is D and the highest is D.

Il

NOTE.-A team of Ringers should always stand having the lowerbells on the left hand and the higher on the right, corresponding tothe position of a pianist or organist. This saves a lot of confusion.

Also, each individual ringer should have his bells in each handaccordingly. If he is ringing two bells in one hand, the lower bellshould be the one with its strap between his forefingers, and the strapof the higher bell in the hollow of his thumb. The position of the bellsin the hand will now indicate higher or lower as well as the sound orletter note on the strap. The lower bell clapper will strike up or downand the higher bell clapper sideways.

12

THE WASHFIELD Q UARTETTE.

HIGH LY COMMEN OEO I N TH E CAROL L EVIS CO.\\ PETl TlON AT C ULLOM I'T ON,

D EVON . CERT IF IC.ATE . N OVEMBER 22ND, 1946 .

13

LECTURE No. 4

A very important subject in Music is the use of Ledger Lines orlines used with notes above or below the two sets of five lines. By theuse of Ledger Lines we can playas high or as low as we like or as faras our musical instruments or bells will permit.

When we wish to play higher notes than the Treble Clef allows us,we make use of these lines.

And similarly, if we wish to play or ring on notes below the BassClef.

It is essential that the notes on Ledger Lines between the twosets of staves be thoroughly learnt by the bell ringers, for here theTenor and Alto notes predominate.

The ringers who have the bells for this section will have to bespecially on the alert, for sometimes their bells will be Alto, sometimesTenor.

The Lecture 7 notation will show the equivalents between thelower Alto and the higher Tenor.

The ringer who handles a bell in thi s section will need to perusecarefully both clefs to see where his bell comes in, whether as an Altoor as a Tenor. Therefore the most expert ringers should be placedin this middle section, and who are well acquainted with both clefs.

14

LECTURE No. 5

Another important point in Music is the Rests. There is a timeto ring and a time not to ring, and the various signs indicating Reststell us when to refrain from ringing.

There is a Rest sign corresponding to every kind of Note and theyare as follows :-

NOTE REST

Semibrevea

under the line

Minim r upon the lineCrotchet r F turned to the rightQuaver F 1 turned to the leftSemi-quaver

~~ double-tailed

Not only do we have signs for cease playing called Rests but signsfor the note to be prolonged . These signs are dots placed after thenotes, which are called dotted notes. These dots have the effect oflengthening the note by one half its value.

A dotted Semibreve adds a Minim c»"Minim " Crochet d." Crotchet "Quaver J." Quaver " Semi-quaver J.

The following tune is a good exercise, having two rests and twodotted notes :-

o happy band of pilgrims. A. and M. 224

~ J JJj~~+J 8 ;sJ~2J~~~~-~

F is the Key note, but the note next below it (Te in tonic sol-fa)will be required. It is a tune for seven bells, but will require a two-octave set with accidentals . Note the rest for one beat in first andthird lines, and the dotted note in second and fourth lines whichrequire three beats each.

15

LECTURE No. 6

The most difficult part of Music for the beginner is the Keys withtheir Flats and Sharps. A piano or harmonium will give one a goodidea on this subject.

If we play C on a piano and call that the Key note, we can go upor down the scale without using a black note. But if we use any othernote but C we shall have to play one or more black notes. To raiseany note a semi-tone is said to make it Sharp . To lower it a semi-toneis said to make it Flat. To bring a Sharp or Flat note back to properpitch is said to make it Natural.

The following are the signs :-

:IJ: Sharp D Flat q Natural

We always see these signs at the commencement of a piece ofmusic and they indicate which notes in that piece are to be playedsharp or flat.

A knowledge of the keys is essential to enable us to pick out theKey note of the tune or which is the Doh in the Tonic Sol-fa scale.By this knowledge a ringer is enabled to set out his bells for playingmusic, especially if his set embraces three or more octaves in Chromaticscales, that is, containing all the semi-tones .

The following is the plan of the keys :-

C No flats or sharps

KeyofG I sharp F :IJ: KeyofF I flat B ~

" D 2 sharps F, C

" A 3 sharps F, C, G

"

"

"

B" 2 flats B, E

E" 3 flats B, E, A bDb

AD4 flats B, E, A, D " " " b

There are other keys, but they will not be required by hand bellringer s.

The following is a simple tune in the key of F. Most tunes end onthe key note as thi s one does. As the Alto part has been added, ninebells will be required. Note that the Alto leads on the key note F,

16

but drops down to C, which is Soh in the Tonic Sol-fa scale. Thehighest note is D, which is two notes short of the top key note F. Thistunc will require a two-octave set of bells.

We love the place, 0 God. A. and M. 242

17

T HE MOULTON SEXTET CHR ISTMAS CAROL R INGERS READY TO START OUT.

18

LECTURE No.7

It all depends on the number of bells a band of ringers possess asto whether they can play four parts together. A set of fourteen bellswill only take in the Treble and Alto. But a set of three-octave bellswith all the semi-tones, numb ering thirty-seven bells (which is calledthe Chromatic Scale) will perform wonders in music.

A Chromatic Scale contains all the sharps and flats, total thirteen.A Diatonic Scale only contains the naturals, total eight.

We will assume our band of ringers has thirty-seven bells, acomplete three-octave set, chromatic. Obviously all these bells willnot be required in anyone tune, hence a careful selecting of thenecessary bells must be done.

The greatest responsibility rests with the conductor, who has theallotting and setting out of the bells to each ringer . With a large set,of course, the bells may be arranged so that the letter on the bell strapcorrespond s to the note in the music. In that case the bells may beplayed to accompany a piano or organ or orchestra, all presumablybeing concert pitch. With a smaller set, not chromatic scale, the musicmay have to be transposed and the bells labelled, the strap letter beingignored. When this is the case, no other instrument could accompanyunless it was transposed too.

19

We will now use as an illustration for setting out the bells andallotting to the ringers, that grand old tune of Stainer's, " Covenant."

The God of Abraham praise. A. and M. 601

Here is the method of procedure :-

1. Note that the Key note is F.

2. Note that the lowest note is B in the Bass Clef and it isNatural, not Flat.

3. Note that the highest note is E in the Treble CI;,:f.

4. Therefore the range of bells between these two notes iseighteen.

5. Pick out all the accidentals which amount to four, viz.:B natural Tenor, B natural Treble, G Sharp, F sharp.

Total, four.

Total of all bells required, twenty-two.

20

If there are twenty-two ringers , of course they take one bell each.If there are eleven, they take one in each hand. If less, some mustring three or perhaps four . We will suppose we have six expertringers who have learned to ring four in hand, then four of them wouldring four each and the remaining two would ring three each of theheavier bells,

The ringers now take careful note of the names of their bells thencarefully look through the music to see where and when their bellsshould strike.

The most expert music readers should take the middle bells orthose which appear in both clefs and when each has made sure of hisbell and music note, the conductor gives the signal and the tuneshould proceed without any hitch.

I herewith give the twenty-two bells for this tune and howthey are allocated to each of the six ringers :

Bq C DIE F G IA B Bq C IDE F F~IG G~ A BIBq CD E6 5 4 3 2 1

21

APPENDIX

Having acquired the art of picking out and setting out the Bellsthat are required for any tunc, attention may be given to variousmethods of ringing hand bells.

1. Tapping.

This is done with hammers, the bells being hung by their strapson poles. Special tapping hammers are required. Rubber onesare preferable for big bells and wooden ones for the smallerbells. Solo ringing comes in here, or three or four ringers couldjoin in.

2. Picking up.

The bells are placed upon the table, piano order, big bells onthe left, smaller bells on the right, preferably upon a rug. Thebell must be rung as it is picked up by a twist of the wrist andplaced back promptly. Solo ringing may be performed , or morethan one take part.

3. Lapping.

When the band of ringers have played the tune, let each onepass his bells on to his neighbour and take on from his otherneighbour and carryon. This method enables every ringer totake any section in the tunc and is a pleasant diversion.

4. Change Ringing.

This is an imitation of peals upon the Church Bells and has avery pretty effect, besides being helpful to those learning to pullthe ropes in the Belfry. Every known method of change ringingcan be pricked down ann: tint; upon the hand bells. ChangeRingers generally take one tell in each hand, the downwardstroke corresponding to the hand stroke of the Church Bell andthe upward stroke corresponding to the back stroke on thebelfry rope.

22

THE METHOD OF RI NGI NG IW T APPING , ON A F OUR- O C.TAVE S ET,

AHRANGEll FOIl 130C.CIlA HIN I' S M INUET .

ERRATA.Page 22.

4. Change Ringing.Line 5. For downward read upward.Line 7. For upward read downward.

(7J;Ce-7>ersa.)

2~

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