Starting Simple with Handbells

Introducing Handbells & Hand Chimes in the Elementary Music Classroom

by Lorna Walker

Do you have handbells or chimes sitting in a closet in your school that have never been used? The expense of handbells and the requirement for extra supplies (tables, foam, and gloves) often intimidate teachers who are new to the instrument. However, handbells are incredibly engaging for students; their polished appearance and rich, beautiful timbre quickly draw learners in. After many years of teaching students to ring handbells in extracurricular clubs, I decided to try using the bells in the regular music classroom. Below is a lesson idea that you can use with Division 2 students, as part of your regular music class. No tables or foams required.

Note: This lesson assumes teacher knowledge of the following:

• Proper technique for ringing and damping a handbell. Hope Publishing Handell Ringing is a helpful refresher.

• Care of the bells

  • Reasons for wearing gloves, Ways to safely ring without gloves (hands off the casting )

  • Things that will damage a bell - dropping, clinking with other bells when ringing, scratches from zippers, sequins, jewelry, spit and saliva from chewing gum while ringing, hands inside touching the clapper

    
    

Supplies:

• Handbells - Most schools have a 2 or 3 octave set.

• Hand Chimes - optional - if you have them, use them

• Foams - optional - if you have them, use them.

• Carpet Squares - many stores will give you these for free, or many kindergarten rooms have these.

• Gloves - preferred, but optional - black stretchy winter gloves are cheap to order from amazon.

Process - Lesson 1

1. Remove all the white note bells from the cases and place them in a large circle on the floor. If your floor is not carpeted, then use the carpet squares - do not put the bells on an uncarpeted surface. I like to place the bells in order so that students can see the relative sizes. Then have the class make a large circle around the bells - no touching anything.

2. Teacher Demonstration: Start by ringing the largest bell in the set and asking students to describe the sound - timbre. Then repeat with the smallest bell in the set and ask students to describe the difference in sound - pitch.

3. Ask students to look at the arrangement of bells in the room and tell you what they notice about the set of bells.

4. Go over Non-Negotiables or Rules of Care when ringing handbells. These rules need to be reviewed every time students play bells. Consequences for not following the rules need to be in place. Damaged bells are not OK.

5. Demonstrate how to hold a bell. Start with one bell per student.

6. Students Challenges:

   1. Reach down and pick up a bell and not let it make any sound.

   2. Move your arm/bell in a circular movement - but NOT let the bell ring?

   3. Discuss how to get the bell to ring - have students look at the inside clapper and realize they have to tip it forward. Whose bell rings the longest? Discourage repeated ringing of the bell - encourage one ring and a circle to follow.

   4. Ring then damp the bell on count of 4.

   
   

7. While in the circle try any of the following:

   1. Ring one at a time - the diatonic scale.

   2. Play “Ring Around the World” - pass the sound to one ringer across the circle - then they ring and pass the sound along.

   3. “Play When I Point to You” - teacher stands in the middle of the circle and conducts randomly. Sometimes you get interesting combinations of sounds - encourage appreciation of the created combinations.

Note: The circle formation allows you, as the teacher, to quickly assess and help any students that are not understanding the holding or ringing process. It also allows students to see and hear each other. Use student exemplars to encourage great technique. During the above activities, consider moving students around the circle - leave the bells on the floor - students rotate - so that they get to experience ringing different sized bells. Reinforce Rules of Care!

Follow-Up Lesson Idea: Create an Original Melody:

1. Put students into small groups and challenge them to create an original melody to be shared with the class. If you have foams, then put them on the floor around the room, spaced so that groups of students can sit around them. Compositions will sound pleasing if you arrange groups of 5 and have each group use a pentatonic scale. This will depend on the number of students and the number of bells you have. Things for students to consider: Which order should the bells ring in? Should some bells ring at the same time? Can you repeat your melody three times and then end it? Do you need a conductor?

These ideas are only the beginning of what can be an amazing musical learning experience for students. Handbells and chimes are perfect instruments to teach or reinforce many musical concepts such as

• Duration of note values (Ringing whole, half, quarter, notes)

• Following a musical score

• Playing as an ensemble

• Chords and Chordal accompaniments

Resources:

• Beginning Busy Ringers by Kirtsy Mitchell

• Exploring Handbells by Betty Radford

• Ring, Dance, Play by Griff Gall and Paul Weller

• Handbells Etc offers handbell supplies, music, repairs and workshops

• The Alberta Guild of English Handbell Ringers, offers a yearly PD session called Handbell Discovery.