Listen to the bell
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
How the bell makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bell belongs to the struck idiophones: the body is struck directly – bells, gongs, xylophones and cymbals.
More broadly it is one of the idiophones, where the solid body of the instrument itself vibrates, without strings or a stretched membrane.
Its timbre – the colour that lets you tell it apart from other instruments playing the same note – comes from the mix of overtones its body and resonator emphasise.
From Wikipedia
A bell /ˈbɛl/ is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that—when struck—vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell (jingle bell).
Bells are usually cast from bell metal (a type of bronze) for its resonant properties, but can also be made from other hard materials. This depends on the function. Some small bells (such as ornamental bells or cowbells) can be made from cast or pressed metal, glass or ceramic, but large bells (such as a church, clock, and tower bells) are normally cast from bell metal.
Other struck idiophones
Questions people ask
Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.
Frequently asked questions
What does a bell sound like?
Listen to 1 recording on this page. As one of the struck idiophones, its sound comes from the way the body is struck directly.
What type of instrument is the bell?
It is classified as struck idiophones (Hornbostel–Sachs 111.242).
Sources & credits
- The Liberty Bell - Ceremonial Brass - United States Air Force Band by Composition: John Philip Sousa; Performance: United States Air Force Band, Ceremonial Brass and Concert Band… – Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q101401 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Bell – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by William Henry Stone – Public domain