Welcome to Singing Handbells

Brought to you by THIRD BELL ON THE RIGHT – www.ThirdBellontheRight.com

A  proud member of the Handbell Musicians of America Handbell Industry Council (HIC)

What is a singing Handbell (also called the Singing Bell Technique and notated in handbell music as SB)? 
A beautiful sound resulting from a technique that requires the musician to rub a wooden dowel around the rim of the handbell. Singing handbells resemble the technique used to produce sounds from a crystal glass by rubbing a dampened finger around its rim.  The wooden dowels do not need to be dampened. The technique works on all (C4-C8) handbells but does require some practice.

Larger bells may require a “tap” to start the sound (but try doing it without tapping first). C3 to B3 are an example. C4 and up can be started without the tap. If the dowels seem a little rough, don’t worry! This helps. In fact, if you find a dowel that is not cooperating, use a piece of 80 grit sandpaper and rough it up a bit.

Where are they used? There are several compositions written that incorporate the singing Handbell technique. My favorite is How Can I Keep from Singing by Robert Lowry and arranged by Arnold Sherman. Click here for a list of current pieces using the singing handbell technique.

With your purchase you will receive detailed instructions for you and your musicians.

Current woods being shipped as of 12/21/15.

• 7/8″ x 6-1/2″ Birch
• 1-1/16″ x 6″ Birch (limited quantity)
•  1″ x 7″ Black Walnut specifically for bells C3-C4  but works on all bells

Why our dowels?

Our dowels are cut from the following hardwoods: oak, beech, maple, hickory, mahogany, walnut, or birch and are dependent upon what we can purchase from our supplier.  We do not purchase our stock from area home improvement companies. We use wood that was destined for the landfill. We select the best wood for our dowels. They not only perform well but look great! The wood is stripped down bare and processed from there.

We have tried the softer woods but they just do not work as well (they DO work, it just takes time and patience). Oak, red oak, beech, birch, walnut and maple work on all bells. And since the bells tend to leave markings on the dowels, you know that the bells are not being damaged (high school Science 101).

Dowels are 5″ to 7″ in length – orders might contain different lengths (choices always help). We have found that these sizes will work on any of the bells. The diameter of the dowels are 3/4″ to 1-1/4″ (this varies depending on availability of wood).

You will find that they are not sanded smooth. This allows the dowel to start the vibration of the bell sooner. These dowels will usually start a G4 bell (one of the hardest to get going) quickly (3-5 rotations).

How much to ship?

$3-$5 per order. Any shipment of 8 dowels or more will ship Priority mail. USPS Expedited shipping available (1-3 days shipping).