{"id":66,"date":"2017-05-17T16:42:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/?p=66"},"modified":"2017-05-19T16:14:51","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T16:14:51","slug":"choosing-right-repertoire-handchime-ensembles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/choosing-right-repertoire-handchime-ensembles\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Right Repertoire for Handchime Ensembles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-70\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2069-232x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2069-232x300.jpeg 232w, http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2069.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-68 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/5155-232x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"232\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/5155-232x300.jpeg 232w, http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/5155.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 232px) 100vw, 232px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-71 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2006-228x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"228\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2006-228x300.jpeg 228w, http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/2006.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>One of the keys to having a successful handchime program is the repertoire that you choose.\u00a0 Handbell literature is used with handchimes however, not all music written for handbells can be rung on handchimes.\u00a0 Two main factors to consider are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tempo \u2013 Because of the pure tone and resonance of handchimes along with their design, moderate tempos are most desirable on handchimes. The mellow tone of handchimes takes a bit longer to \u201cspeak\u201d than handbells.\u00a0 Quicker tempos will also cause the handchimes to sound too percussive with undesirable sounds of the attack of the clapper head.\u00a0 Quicker tempos can also lead to incomplete damping which will cause unwanted dissonance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ringing Techniques \u2013 Not all ringing techniques and articulations that are performed on handbells may be performed on handchimes due to the design and fragile nature of the tines of the handchime tube. The following techniques that may be used are:\u00a0 Ring, Damp, Finger Damp, Gyro, LV, Swing, Vibrato and a Mallet Strike (while the handchime is held) in the air. \u00a0Click<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/members\/all-about-handchimes\/show\/special-ringing-techniques-on-handchimes\"> here<\/a> to learn more about ringing techniques on handchimes. \u00a0Other considerations in choosing repertoire for a musical result are:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Octaves Used and Assignments<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Each piece in handbell literature designates the size set of instruments for which it is written.\u00a0 Be sure to choose repertoire that your number of ringers can play musically rather than by the set of instruments you have available.\u00a0 For instance, if you own a three octave (37 note) set of handchimes but only have 8 ringers, choose music written for 2 or 2 \u2013 3 octaves to ensure that your group can ring musically and not \u201cjuggle\u201d instruments just to \u201cget\u201d all the notes.\u00a0 Once you have chosen a piece, the director should prepare the score and assign the handchimes so that all notes can be rung musically.\u00a0 Learn more about handbell assignments <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/members\/all-about-handchimes\/show\/handchime-assignments-for-an-ensemble\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Level<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Handbell music is graded by six different levels so that it is easier for a director to choose repertoire.\u00a0 Directors are encouraged to choose music levels that meet the skills of their ringers so that musical results are met and that the ringers have an opportunity to enjoy their own performance.\u00a0 To learn more about the Handbell Difficulty Level System, click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/members\/articles\/show\/the-handbell-and-handchime-music-difficulty-level-system\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Genre and Topic of Music<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When choosing a score, take in to account the age and experience of your ringers as well as their personalities.\u00a0 Consider that perhaps based on life experiences, adults may relate to a somber piece better than a child.\u00a0 With training, almost any age should be able to ring almost anything but sometimes, it is best to meet your group at their comfort level to create success and introduce the unknown as your group progresses.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Composers and Arrangers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Do you have experience with a piece that \u201crang itself off the page?\u201d\u00a0 If so, it may be the skills of the arranger\/composer.\u00a0 Ringing a piece by someone who really understands the instrument makes all the difference in the world!\u00a0 Look to other compositions they have scored for further success!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>For suggestions of repertoire that your handchime ensemble will enjoy and meet ringing success with, browse the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/assets\/Uploads\/Suggested-Repertoire-2.17.pdf\"> titles <\/a>that we, at ChimeWorks, recommend!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the keys to having a successful handchime program is the repertoire that you choose.\u00a0 Handbell literature is used with handchimes however, not all music written for handbells can be rung on handchimes.\u00a0 Two main factors to consider are: Tempo \u2013 Because of the pure tone and resonance of handchimes along with their design, &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/choosing-right-repertoire-handchime-ensembles\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Choosing the Right Repertoire for Handchime Ensembles<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[21],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":488,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions\/488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chimeworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}