What is the bell?

The bell was called a star or a bell cymbal in ancient times. The Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, Naxi, Han and other ethnic groups play musical instruments against each other. It is called Dingxia in Tibetan. Due to different spreading regions, among the people there are other names such as bangzhong, double star, clanging bell, double chime, shengsheng, shuishui, etc. In Shaanxi, it is called Zhuozi, and some are simply called bells. Popular all over the country. It is widely used as a bell-ringing percussion instrument in Chinese singing and dancing, opera music accompaniment and folk instrumental ensembles.

The sound of the bell is crisp, soft, high and light. It can express both the strong beat and the weak beat of music.

The bell is made of ringing copper or brass. It is shaped like a pair of small cup-shaped bells, with a diameter of about 5.5 cm and a height of about 4.5 cm. There are holes in the bottom of the bells for tying ropes. The two bells strike each other to make sounds. There are also single bells placed on the end of the stick and struck with metal sticks. The sound is crisp and pleasant. Bells made of ringing copper have a long sustaining sound, while bells made of brass have a shorter sustaining sound.

Historical records of bell cymbals

"New Tang Dynasty Book of Bell Chong? Biography" contains: four bell cymbals, made like the Qiuci tribe, surrounded by three Cun, running through Wei, knocking and knocking should meet the knot. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, jingling bells have been widely circulated among the people, and are often used to strike the strong beats of music.

It was introduced to Lijiang, Yunnan in the first year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1573). The "Dynasty Ritual Utensils" of the Qing Dynasty called the bell a star. In the 25th year of Qianlong's reign (1760), it was used for Kaigele in the Qing Dynasty.

How to use the bell

Method 1: When using it, you can hold the wooden handle of the bell with both hands and place it in front of your chest to strike naturally. When holding the wooden handle, your hand cannot touch the bell's filling position, otherwise, the sound will be muffled.

Method 2: You can also hold the wooden handle of the bell with both hands, with one hand on top and one hand on the bottom, so that the parts of the bell correspond and strike continuously.