Tubular Bells

[Lucasorg]

Many years ago, George Guest was playing the piano before a rehearsal at College and he played a series of chords which mimicked the sound of tubular bells. I remember at the time thinking that I would ask him to divulge this secret, but, as things turned out, I never did and now it's far too late!

 

Does anyone on the board know this trick? Would you be prepared to share it with others??

 

Many thanks!

 

Adrian

[heva]

I think it has something to do with two stapled intervals of sixes (transposed chromatically) ....

[Tony Newnham]

Many years ago, George Guest was playing the piano before a rehearsal at College and he played a series of chords which mimicked the sound of tubular bells. I remember at the time thinking that I would ask him to divulge this secret, but, as things turned out, I never did and now it's far too late!

 

Does anyone on the board know this trick? Would you be prepared to share it with others??

 

Many thanks!

 

Adrian

 

Hi

 

I've seen info on this in a book - but it was a long time ago - and the book belonged to someone else! You have to play "chords" made up of the typical harmonic structure of a bell - but beyond that, I can't remember the details.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

[revdnsm]

Hi

 

I've seen info on this in a book - but it was a long time ago - and the book belonged to someone else! You have to play "chords" made up of the typical harmonic structure of a bell - but beyond that, I can't remember the details.

 

Every Blessing

 

Tony

 

I have a feeling Cavaille Coll used for a Carillion 8, (4), nazard, tierce, 22nd.

 

Might this give the chord needed?

 

Certainly it works well on my house organ

 

David W

[alan taylor]

A modern bell is tuned to hum the octave above and below the strike note. Plus a minor third and a major fifth above the strike note.

 

Alan

[Lucasorg]

A modern bell is tuned to hum the octave above and below the strike note. Plus a minor third and a major fifth above the strike note.

Major fifth.....that must be the problem I've been having!!

 

Thanks to all contributions so far...keep them coming, please

 

A

[bombarde32]

What seems to work quite well for me is:

 

For the note Treble C, play the following five notes:

 

E below, Treble C, G above, C above, and F above that.

 

For the next note (D for instance) play:

 

F# below, Treble D, A above, D above that, and G above that.

 

To simulate a Carillon effect, use the same notes, but substitute the lowest note for an E flat (for a C bell) and an F natural for the next note up etc.

[MusingMuso]

What seems to work quite well for me is:

 

For the note Treble C, play the following five notes:

 

E below, Treble C, G above, C above, and F above that.

 

For the next note (D for instance) play:

 

F# below, Treble D, A above, D above that, and G above that.

 

To simulate a Carillon effect, use the same notes, but substitute the lowest note for an E flat (for a C bell) and an F natural for the next note up etc.

 

 

=============================

 

I shall have to try this on my liquid Rohrflute.

 

I know that Philip Tordoff can do the bell trick, and he once demonstrated it for me at Halifax.

 

He also demonstrated the very rare, Cuckoo percussion-register of that organ, which comprises of two brass brackets, which once held the roll of material which was drawn over the keys to protect the ivory from light degredation.

 

If you play "From out of the woods did a cuckoo fly" in F# major, twanging the brackets with the fingers produces the perfect cuckoo-call response of C# and A#.

 

Another gem for the "Dictionary of Organ Stops" I think.

 

MM

[Lucasorg]

What seems to work quite well for me is:

 

For the note Treble C, play the following five notes:

 

E below, Treble C, G above, C above, and F above that.

 

For the next note (D for instance) play:

 

F# below, Treble D, A above, D above that, and G above that.

 

To simulate a Carillon effect, use the same notes, but substitute the lowest note for an E flat (for a C bell) and an F natural for the next note up etc.

Thanks - now we're getting into some really useful responses...I must try the cuckoo effect as well!

 

A

[Janner]

A modern bell is tuned to hum the octave above and below the strike note. Plus a minor third and a major fifth above the strike note.

 

Alan

 

I remember Douglas Hughes, of the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, on a radio programme many years ago using recordings to give an excellent demonstration of how the components of a bell's sound build up and fall after it is struck. If I remember correctly, the strike note lasted only very briefly, disappearing long before the other components.

 

For anyone seriously interested, there is a detailed discussion here: http://www.hibberts.co.uk/index.htm.

 

EDIT:

 

Just realised that the heading of the topic is "Tubular bells." Real tubular and spherical bells sound quite different to church bells of course, and bells cast by the continental foundries, mainly for the carillon market, may have different styles and sounds. The remarks and the link above are concerned primarily with church bells, from an english bell foundry, intended for english style change ringing.

[nfortin]

How to make it sound like tubular bells - ask Mike Oldfield!

[MusingMuso]

How to make it sound like tubular bells - ask Mike Oldfield!

 

 

=======================

 

That's probably good advice, if only because Frans Casper Schnitger died some years ago!

 

However, the best TUBULAR bell effect is.....wait for it......late baroque. At St.Laurens', Alkmaar is a Mixture with a 4th sounding rank, and the effect is EXACTLY like tubular bells, when combined with certain other stops.

 

MM

[MusingMuso]

Just realised that the heading of the topic is "Tubular bells." Real tubular and spherical bells sound quite different to church bells of course

 

 

========================

 

 

I misread this first time. I thought we were referring to something which was monosyllabic, and bounced.

 

I'm fascinated to know what a spherical bell is. The nearest I can think of, is the little bell which my cat wears in its collar, but that wouldn't wake anyone up or entertain a crowd.

 

Enquiring minds and all that.......

 

 

MM

[Nick Bennett]

=============================

 

I shall have to try this on my liquid Rohrflute.

 

I know that Philip Tordoff can do the bell trick, and he once demonstrated it for me at Halifax.

 

He also demonstrated the very rare, Cuckoo percussion-register of that organ, which comprises of two brass brackets, which once held the roll of material which was drawn over the keys to protect the ivory from light degredation.

 

If you play "From out of the woods did a cuckoo fly" in F# major, twanging the brackets with the fingers produces the perfect cuckoo-call response of C# and A#.

 

Another gem for the "Dictionary of Organ Stops" I think.

 

MM

 

Interestingly, the good Tordoff did his bell trick after my lesson with him last night. It is exactly as Bombarde32 says, a sixth, a fifth and two fourths. It doesn't sound at all bell-like on the piano, but on the Concert Flute on the Solo it is a remarkable sound that one can barely believe is being produced by the organ.

[Lucasorg]

OK....but what's the magic chord on the piano....

[MusingMuso]

OK....but what's the magic chord on the piano....

 

 

==============================

 

 

It's no use asking organists!

 

MM

[Janner]

========================

I misread this first time. I thought we were referring to something which was monosyllabic, and bounced.

 

I'm fascinated to know what a spherical bell is. The nearest I can think of, is the little bell which my cat wears in its collar, but that wouldn't wake anyone up or entertain a crowd.

 

Enquiring minds and all that.......

MM

 

Senior moment combined with typing in haste I'm afraid. Should have been hemispherical; a larger version of an old fashioned bicycle bell.

 

Senior moments seem to occur ever more frequently nowadays.