Mixing Handbells and Chimes
Sometimes our handchimes do not get used as much as we might wish. Much of the published repertoire only uses 2 or 3 octaves of chimes, which leaves our 4th and 5th octave chimes gathering dust. Here are some ideas that have enabled us to incorporate chimes into music written only for bells. All of these ideas work just as well for a phrase or two, a single verse or chorus, or for an entire piece.
- Melody – if a melody can be clearly identified in the music, play it with chimes and use bells for all the other harmonic/accompaniment notes.
- Harmony – the opposite of above. Both of these options may require the director (or ringers) to circle notes to be played with chimes. If the director circles the notes ahead it will avoid wasted rehearsal time trying to explain which notes are chimes and which are bells. “Play all circled notes with chimes” gets the job done quickly.
- Staff – Sometimes you can also play all the notes on the treble or bass staff if the arrangement is structured that way.
- Middle section – Some pieces have slower or quieter middle section in the middle of an otherwise fast tempo piece. Using chimes gives added variety to the change of tempo, dynamics, and/or style.
- Hymns – if you play out of a hymnal or other hymnal accompaniments, play one verse with chimes. This would work nicely on the third verse in a four-verse hymn.
What methods have you had success with mixing chimes into an all-handbell arrangement? Please share – just email us at: [email protected]
Dr. Paul McGahie, MS State Chair