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Bell |
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion
instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually an open-ended
hollow drum which resonates upon being struck. The striking
implement can be a tongue suspended within the bell, known
as a clapper, a small, free sphere enclosed within the body
of the bell, or a separate mallet.
Bells are usually made of cast metal, but small bells can
also be made from ceramic or glass. Bells can be of all
sizes: from tiny dress accessories to church bells weighing
tons.
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Church and temple bells |
In the Western world,
its most classical form is a church bell or town bell, which
is hung within a tower and sounded by having the entire bell
swung by ropes, whereupon an internal hinged clapper strikes
the body of the bell (called a free-swinging bell). A set
of bells, hung in a circle for change ringing, is known as
a ring of bells.
In the Eastern world, the traditional forms of bells are temple
and palace bells, small ones being rung by a sharp rap with
a stick, and very large ones rung by a blow from the outside
by a large swinging beam. This last technique is employed
world-wide for some of the largest tower-borne bells, because
swinging the bell itself could damage the tower. |
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| Bell making |
The ringing of bells is
known as bell ringing, and such a bell produces a very loud,
clear tone. If the bell is mounted as cast, it is called a
“maiden bell” while “tuned bells”
are worked after casting to produce a precise note. The traditional
metal for these bells is a bronze of about 20% tin. Known
as bell metal, this alloy is also the traditional alloy for
the finest Turkish and Chinese cymbals. Other materials sometimes
used for large bells include brass and iron. The process of
casting bells is called bell making or bell founding |
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