Tubular Bells
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Orchestral Chimes, also known as tubular bells, are a series of metal tubes of equal width but varying length. Striking the tube produces a note similar to that of a church bell. Orchestral chimes are used in orchestras instead of church bells (which may weigh several tons). The sound of orchestral chimes is more suited to the confined space of a concert-hall.
| Family |
| Percussions |
| Pitch range |
| One-and-a-half octaves. |
| Material |
| Steel or brass. |
| Size |
| Tubes are up to 10 ft (3 m) long, with higher pitches progressively shorter. Diameters range from 1-4 in (2.5-10 cm). |
| Origins |
| The orchestral chimes were developed in Coventry, England by John Hampton in 1886. |
| Classification |
| Idiophone: an instrument that produces its sound through the use of the material from which it is made, without needing strings or a stretched skin. |
| And also... |
| The largest tubes are often made from iron drainpipes. |
