Handbell FAQ

The quantity and range of bells you purchase will be determined by the number of bell ringers in your group, your budget, and the complexity and range of the songs you wish to perform.

The quantity of bells you need will inevitably be greater than the number of bell ringers you have. This is because most songs do not require all of the bells/notes in the scale, so you will likely need to double up on some notes in order to involve all of your ringers. As a general rule, you'll want to have at least twice as many bells as the number of bell ringers. For example, if you have 12 bell ringers and you're playing a song that only uses 5 of the 8 notes in an RB108 set, you'd need to have 3 sets of RB108 in order give each bell ringer a note to play. Many directors like to have each bell ringer hold and play two bells. You'll want to increase the number of bells you have on hand to accomplish this.

Adding greater range to your bell collection makes more complex melodies and richer chords possible. Every different color of bell is a different note in the Western musical scale. The "diatonic" bell sets include notes equivalent to the white keys on a piano, while the "chromatic" bell sets include notes equivalent to the black keys. The extension sets expand the range of notes available to you beyond an octave.

Kidsplay Handbell Sets and Their Ranges

Handbells are played with traditional handbell technique where the bell is held against the upper body to keep it silent and then gently pushed forward for a single ring or shaken for a tremolo sound. The shaken (tremolo) technique is quite often used in the chord approach to ringing that is described below.

Deskbells sit on a flat surface (not held) and are generally used for playing melodies (not chords). They are played by pushing the button on the top of the bell. If the bells are arranged on a surface in sequence, a single person can play multiple bells and play a melody by themselves.

Combined bells are just what the term suggests. They can be played as a traditional handbell, but also have a button on the top and a special design on the bell area to allow them to be placed on a surface and played similar to a deskbell.

One of our most popular packages for church groups is the Easy Hymns Value Pack along with as many sets of 8 note bells, deskbells or combined bells as you need or can afford. The Easy Hymns book and CD includes easy songs which are appropriate for Christian churches and all of the songs work with 8 note bell sets for both the chord and melody techniques. It also includes several Christmas-appropriate songs, which is a common request.

Playing the melodies using the handbells or deskbells is done by handing out one or more bells to each ringer and instructing them when to ring their bells as part of the melody. This is done one of several ways: For the very youngest of bell ringers (preschool through early elementary) you may want to use the Melody Cards LRMC96. By preparing a stack of cards in advance, you'll be able to cue the melody notes one at a time. For more experienced bell ringers, you can photocopy the bell music (you are granted the rights to copy the music for the use of individual bell ringers) and then mark the notes with a highlighter. Prepare a separate sheet of music for each bell that is part of the song you're performing. You may want to use colored markers.

In order to introduce your bell ringers to a variety of musical concepts, you'll want to use the chord playing method as part of your handbell experience. As a general rule, the chord method is easier, since the chords do not change as quickly as the melody notes. For the chord method, the level of difficulty is determined by the number of chords used and the speed at which they change. The chord method is achieved by gently shaking the bell back and forth. For the 8 note bell sets, you'll need the SP2389 set of 7 cards for directing the chords. For chromatic bell sets, you'll need the SP2390 set of 36 cards. In order to make your job as a director much easier, you will want to purchase the LRCH8 card holder. The chord method can be used with any music which has the chord symbols printed, including RB7014, RB7015, SP2391, and SP2392. You may also use your own music, as long as the chords are major, minor or dominant 7th. Make sure to determine which chords are used in the song and hand out the bells which are part of those chords.

The chart below will help you to choose materials that are appropriate for your age group and experience level. You should use a mixture of melody method and chord method playing in order to introduce both musical concepts. Keep in mind that if your school or church has been using the bells for a while, you will want to choose more advanced materials in order to challenge the students.