Tubular bells

Common card · No. 229706

Tubular bells (also known as chimes) are a percussion instrument consisting of pitched metal tubes. These tubes are generally made of brass and may be chrome-plated. They are about 30–38 mm (1+1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) in diameter and tuned by altering their length. Their sound resembles that of church bells, carillons, or a bell tower; the original tubular bells were made to duplicate such sounds within an ensemble. Tubular bells are usually struck on the top edges of the tubes with a rawhide- or plastic-headed hammer. A sustain pedal is usually attached to the instrument to allow the damping and un-damping of all the bells at once. Very loud, high-pitched overtones can be produced by vibrating the bottoms of the tubes with a violin bow. The written range of chimes is usually seen as C4 to F5, though some professional models reach G5. There is disagreement on the exact transposition of octave, with some manufacturers listing the lowest note as a C5. Additionally, some listeners place the pitch as...

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