Bell Choir ???

[Moxie]

Our co-op is starting to plan for next year. I'm researching having the kids start a Bell Choir. Since we only meet once a month, is that enough time to learn a few Christmas songs? How expensive are the bells? Could a group of moms who can read music but have no formal training muddle through??

[FaithManor]

That depends on what you mean by bell choir. If you mean a brass bell choir in which everyone is going to learn to read music and perform under true musical direction (and this kind of directing is far more akin to band directing than vocal choir), then no way and especially if the children are 10 and under.

 

If you mean a set of plastic color coded bells, in which the children look at a flashcard that is held up and ring their bell when they see their color, while a pianist plays or an accompaniment track runs, then yes.

 

If you mean a color coded set of metal hand chimes in which the child learns to read rhythmical notations similar to a non-pitched percussion instrument, but know it is their turn to play their "tone" by a color code on the rhythm sheet, then I'd still say probably not. It takes a while to teach a group to read rhythm notation and they need to do a lot of clapping of basic rhythms, then learn to rest in between their "claps", and then learn to count off more complicated resting periods, before picking up their chimes. This is especially true if they are the long metal pipes with the clapper on the end - these are nice hand chimes - because there is a knack to ringing them on time that must be learned. The response time is slightly slower than on a brass bell so the children must anticipate their rhythm and start the motion ever so slightly ahead of the beat.

 

Faith

[Dmmetler]

True handbells are VERY expensive, so unless you already have them at a church or something, no. They're also easily damaged. I have seen good children's bell choirs (and it is possible to teach bell ringing with only minimal music reading skills-enough to count measures and follow a score), but it takes work. Another thing to consider is that the larger octaves really aren't going to be playable by children due to weight, unless your definition of "children" includes teenagers.

 

Inexpensive, color coded bells are usually only available in 1-2 octaves (I have two 2 octave sets), but that strongly limits the music you can play.

 

Choir chimes are in between, and are more durable, but again, get expensive and get heavy fast.

[Kuovonne]

Our co-op is starting to plan for next year. I'm researching having the kids start a Bell Choir. Since we only meet once a month, is that enough time to learn a few Christmas songs? How expensive are the bells? Could a group of moms who can read music but have no formal training muddle through??

 

I think that it's doable, as long as you keep your expectations low.

 

Last semester I taught a small of kids (ages 4-10) to play handbells for our homeschool group's Christmas gathering. It wasn't a polished performance, but the kids and parents loved it. You can see them on Youtube

and

. We had only three rehearsals and most of the kids had no prior musical experience.

 

A key factor is the number of kids and bells you have. You can get a set of 8 KidsPlay bells for $40. With one bell per child, you are limited to 8 children. Even with a larger set of bells (13 bells for $65), most songs for novice children still use only 8 bells per song.

 

Another important consideration is that it is impossible for kids to practice on their own. Monthly practices probably aren't enough. Depending on the kids' musical experience, you might be able to get by with adding a few extra rehearsals in the weeks before your Christmas performance.

 

For more information, check out the handbell FAQ at the GrothMusic website.

Edited February 25, 2011 by Kuovonne