bell tree in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

Meaning of Bell Tree in Music

The bell tree is a percussion instrument used in various musical genres, including orchestral, chamber, and popular music. It consists of a stack of nested metal bells connected by a long rod. The bells resemble inverted bowls that decrease in size as they go up the stack. The number of bells can vary, typically ranging from 14 (for smaller handheld versions) to 28 (for larger versions on stands).

The bell tree is often used to accentuate the start or end of passages of music with a "bright" and "shimmer" effect, adding complexity to the overall sound. It can produce a glissando by striking the bells with a metal rod (similar to a triangle beater) or an orchestra bells mallet.

Versions of the bell tree can be found in several cultures and have been used in religious and secular music since before the 6th century in Asia. The instrument made its way into Western orchestral music, with the first recorded use attributed to Hector Berlioz in his Symphonie Funebre. The bell tree as we know it today was created in the 1950s by sound effects expert Carrol Bratman. It has since become a common sound in many genres of popular music.

Notation symbols and definitions for handbells, another type of bell instrument, are different and unrelated to the bell tree

The bell tree (often confused with the Mark tree) is a stack of nested metal bells connected by a long rod. The bells look like inverted bowls that get increasingly smaller in size. There is no specific number of bells and they vary, typically between 14 (with the smaller handheld versions) and 28 (with the larger versions on stands). Like the Mark tree, the bell tree can produce a glissando by striking the bells with a metal rod (similar to a triangle beater) or orchestra bells mallet.Versions of the bell tree can be found in several cultures and can be traced back before the 6th century in Asia, being used in religious and secular music. The bell tree found its way into Western orchestral music with the first use said to be by Hector Berlioz with his Symphonie Funebre. The instrument as it is know today was created in the 1950's by the sound effects expert Carrol Bratman. The sound is now commonplace in many genres of popular music.