Handbells and Hand Chimes: Play Online, Learn and Play Along
In a bell choir each ringer holds one or two bells and rings only their own notes. Put the play-along on the board: the bell to ring lights up, so everyone knows when it is their turn.
No microphone is used. Sounds are made on this device. Nothing you play is recorded or sent.
Play along with a tune
Pick a starter tune or find one of over 2,000 free, out-of-copyright pieces. The notes scroll past and the bell to play lights up. Slow it down, or use wait mode so the music waits for you.
Beginner lessons
Five short lessons: first notes, then simple tunes. Every step says how it is assessed – the page marks what you tap on the screen, and you, a teacher or a parent judge your playing on a real handbells. Progress is kept in this browser only.
Find C, D and E, hear high and low, and learn to make a ringing sound.
Assessed: Marked by Classfern · Self-assessed
Your first tune uses just three notes: E, D and C.
Assessed: Marked by Classfern · Self-assessed · Teacher or parent judgement
Add G – it is two letters up from E (E, F, G).
Assessed: Marked by Classfern · Self-assessed · Teacher or parent judgement
Five notes next to each other: C D E F G. The tune moves step by step.
Assessed: Marked by Classfern · Self-assessed · Evidence kept at home (listed only)
Use all eight bells from C to the high C, then play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
Assessed: Marked by Classfern · Teacher or parent judgement · Self-assessed
About handbells and hand chimes
Handbells are small bells with a handle and a clapper inside; hand chimes are tuned metal tubes with a clapper, which are lighter and easier for young hands. Both are rung the same way: hold the handle with the bell pointing up, flick your wrist forward, then stop the sound by touching the bell against your shoulder. Handbell and hand chime music is written an octave lower than it sounds. Most sets have the note names on the handles; a set of eight (C to high C) is enough to start.
How it works
Choose your set under Your instrument, then tap or click the bells. On a computer the letters A–G play them (hold Shift for the higher one), or Tab to a bell and press Enter. Kids’ mode makes everything bigger and turns the colour notes on; the setting is shared with the other music pages. In the play-along the bell to play next lights up, and the box beside the scrolling notes says which bell it is and where to find it.
Colour notes
Every note name is printed on its bell, so colour is never the only clue. The colours are:
C red · D orange · E yellow · F green · G teal · A blue · B purple
Sharps and flats are dark grey with their names on them.
| Set | Notes (as written) | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| 8 handbells or hand chimes (C to high C) | C5 – C6 (8 bells) | an octave higher |
| Two-octave set (G to G, 25 bells) | G4 – G6 (25 bells, every semitone) | an octave higher |
Ideas for the classroom and home
- One note each: give every child one bell and put the play-along on the board – they play when their bell lights up.
- Pentatonic jam: use only C, D, E, G and A. Any notes sound good together, so children can make up their own tunes.
- Copy me: play three notes on the screen, and the class copies them on their instruments.
- Wait mode at home: the music waits for each note, so a beginner can go at their own speed.
Good to know
The sounds are electronic, not recordings of a real instrument, so they are close but not exact. Library pieces were converted by computer and only the melody line is used. The lessons’ tunes are traditional (public domain); the simple versions are Classfern’s own. Where the music comes from.
Frequently asked questions
Does it use the microphone?
No. The bells on screen, the computer keyboard and wait mode work without a microphone. Nothing you play is recorded, saved on a server or sent anywhere.
Why does it sound higher than the notes?
Many tuned percussion instruments are written lower than they sound so that the music fits on the stave: most glockenspiels sound two octaves higher, and the soprano xylophone, alto glockenspiel and handbells one octave higher. The page shows the written notes – the ones in your music – and plays the sound you would hear.
My bells are different colours. Does that matter?
No. Makers use different colours, so go by the letter on each bell. Classfern uses the same note colours on every music page: C red, D orange, E yellow, F green, G teal, A blue and B purple. You can switch the colours off.
Why are some tunes missing, or need a note I do not have?
The search only lists tunes that fit the range of the set you chose. Sets without sharps and flats cannot play every tune: if a note is missing, the page says so – use Change key, or choose a set with sharps and flats.
How are the lessons marked?
Each step says how it is assessed. Finding bells and playing tunes on the screen, and the listening questions, are marked by Classfern. Playing your real instrument is self-assessed or judged by a teacher or parent, because the page cannot hear you. A recording you keep at home is only listed. Your progress stays in this browser.
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