Handbell Ringers Bible, For New Ringers and a Reference Guide

By D. Rod Lloyd

Learn Handbells from scratch or become a better Ringer.

This is the thoroughly revised 2023 "Handbell Ringers Bible". 

A set of handbells creates ONE musical instrument. They are always 'in tune,' and most ringers play only two bells plus their accidental, making it one of the easiest musical instruments to learn and a lot of fun to play. Having said that, you need to study and practice to play any instrument well.

You don't need to be a musician to begin to play bells, but you will be a musician once you have mastered the instrument and its techniques. If you can count to four and know your left from your right, you have the necessary qualifications. You don't need a deep understanding of music theory. I have selected the parts of music that you do need, making it as simple as possible.

It is all too common for new handbell ringers to be thrown in at the deep end with just a short explanation of how to ring the bell, and off they go playing in an existing handbell choir. I have created this Method Book, a full explanation of all the terms and techniques, training videos as well as handbell music notation to make learning handbells more structured and informative.

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. Rod Lloyd
• Release date: Dec 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215189108

D. Rod Lloyd

As a kid, whenever I saw an old clock at a jumble sale or going cheap, I would buy it and take it apart to see how it worked. I don’t think I ever got one back together again, but I enjoyed tinkering with them. Twenty years later when I was getting married, now living in the USA, Auntie Florrie wrote to me saying I could now have my Grandfathers clock. I arranged to have the clock shipped over and it was proudly placed in the entrance hall to my home. It was built in about 1880 in Maghull England by a local clockmaker, [before the electric light was invented], had a stately mahogany case, hand-painted dial and ran nicely. After a few years, it stopped. I was frustrated that I didn’t know what was wrong with it or how to get it going. I ended up having it serviced by a local repair shop and it ran again. I was fascinated with the clock. In 1995, my family decided to spend a year in England including putting the kids in school. It was a big challenge to arrange to swap houses with an English family. Finally, we were settled, and the kids started school, my wife was volunteering at a local charity shop and suddenly I had time on my hands. I read the paper that morning and came across an ad for a clock course starting nearby at Manchester City College. I called the college and they told me it was a three-year course, one day per week. I explained I was only in the country for one year, so I persuaded them to let me take the course, coming all three days. I enjoyed the course and did very well. The final exam took several weeks, making a ‘suspension bridge’ from scratch to exact specifications, restoring several old clocks and watches. I documented the process and took the extensive final written exam all set by BHI [British Horological Institute]. I did pass the exams and became a Horologist. 25 years later I teach clock repair classes and ‘pass it on’. This is the class workbook.

Book preview

The following books by D. Rod Lloyd are also available.

The Clock  Repairer's Bench Manual: Everything you need to know when repairing mechanical clocks

The Cuckoo Clock Owner's Repair Manual: Step by Step, No Prior Experience Required

The Grandfather Clock Owner's Repair Manual

Happy Anniversary Clock’s: 400-Day Owners Repair Manual

The Atmos Clock Repairer's Bench Manual Step by Step

My Clock Won't Run Beginners guide to clock repair

Handbell Ringers Bible

Handbell Ringers Bible Book 2: For the Beginner Handbell Ringer

Build Your own Handbell Tree From Off the Shelf Parts

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How to re-hair your Violin, Viola, Cello or Bass bow

Laundromat Operations & Maintenance Manual

Frederick II - Classic English Narrowboat: A unique Tug / Dutch Barge with a Charming Interior

British to American Dictionary: For Travelers and those who talk to Brits

Home Inspection and Mold Testing Business by an Old Pro

House Flipping for Big Profits by an Old Pro

10% interest

Profitable Rental Property Investing: & House Flipping

How to get rid of MOLD - a homeowner guide

The Care and Feeding of Economy Rental Property by an Old Pro

Toilet Repair or Replacement Without calling a Plumber

Instant Hot Water

To Make End$ Meet: How Not To Be Poor

World Cruise with a Twist

A Walk in my Shoes, Biography by D. Rod Lloyd

Introduction

I have created this course to spread the word about creating beautiful music with handbells. Handbells are easier to learn than almost any other instrument. This method book shows examples of different techniques, how they are written, and full instructions on how to play each technique.

Page -

Contents

Introduction

Grand Staff

Method Book

Techniques

Holding the Bell

Handbell Ringers Bible

Bell Music

Reading Course

How Music Works

Ledger Lines

Notes Have a Specific Length

Reading a Melody

Rests

Damping

Dotted Notes

Tempo

Ties

Chords

Time Signature

Sharps & Flats

Key Signature

Bells Used Table

Marking Music

Dynamics

Repeats

Stems – Up and Down

Retard

Fermata

Musical Terms and Signs Specific to Handbells

Thumb Damp

Let Vibrate

Martellato Mart

Pluck

Tower Swing

Mallets

Suspended Mallets

Shake

Echo

Optional Notes

Understanding the Director

Ring Touch

Four-In-Hand

Shelley Ringing

Four-In-Hand Ringing

Traveling Four-in-Hand

Weaving

Practice at Home

Seeing the Music

Music Stands

Page Turns

Digital Music

Bell Trees

Cymbells

Handbells for Children

The Rehearsal Unwritten Rules

Handbell Symbols

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Copyright

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