I was flattered when someone complimented my musicality on a recent bell tree video of Linda Lamb’s gorgeous Celtic Farewell. That started me thinking about the elements of musicality in bell trees, and some ideas that have helped me move toward a more musical performance. Some of these elements also apply to bells played from the table. Continue reading Bell trees: musicality
Tag Archives: mallet
Bell trees: tips and tricks
As I continue researching articles on equipment, I’d like to share various tips I’ve learned in recent months of working with bell trees. I’m preparing for a group concert at a museum to celebrate the opening of a Russian art exhibit. Due to space constraints and the need to play a non-seasonal work by a Russian composer (Nutcracker would be frowned on in February), I decided to adapt Nancy Hascall’s arrangement of Orientale for bell trees. Continue reading Bell trees: tips and tricks
Mallet technique: practice tips, advanced techniques
In this article, I’ll cover practice tips that apply both to bell trees and bells malleted on the table, and discuss how to solve common problems. Continue reading Mallet technique: practice tips, advanced techniques
Mallets
Mallets are an external clapper mechanism. They can be used to create either a stopped sound (malleting bells on the table) or a sustained sound (malleting bells in the air, either singly or in bell trees). The object is to produce the same timbre as the clapper would. Bell manufacturers provide a variety of mallets intended for particular ranges of bells. In general, the bigger the bell, the bigger and softer the mallet. The mallets may be covered with yarn or other soft material. Smaller bells call for smaller, harder mallets, often made of rubber or plastic. Continue reading Mallets