Campanology

A bell () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that—when struck—vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an internal "clapper" or "uvula", an external hammer, or—in small bells—by a small loose sphere enclosed within the body of the bell (jingle bell).

thumb|alt=A man plays the Victorian Christmas carol "Good King Wenceslas" on a carillon's wooden keyboard with his fists, during this carillon's annual Christmas recitals during the 2016 holiday season.|A carillonist plays the 56-bell carillon of the Plummer Building, [[Rochester, Minnesota, US]] thumb|alt=A steel structure containing 56 hanging bells of various sizes and topped with a roof spire and a cross|The 56-bell carillon of Saint Joseph's Oratory, [[Montreal, Quebec, Canada]]

thumb|A bell-ringer at work in Palekh, Russia A bell-ringer is a person who rings a bell, usually a church bell, by means of a rope or other mechanism.

bell in a church

thumb|A bell

clock that audibly sounds the hours

Bellfounding is the casting and tuning of large bronze bells in a foundry for use such as in churches, clock towers and public buildings, either to signify the time or an event, or as a musical carillon or chime. Large bells are made by casting bell metal in moulds designed for their intended musical pitches. Further fine tuning is then performed using a lathe to shave metal from the bell to produce a distinctive bell tone by sounding the correct musical harmonics.

ringing of a church bell immediately after a death

art of ringing a set of bells in mathematical patterns

1934 mystery novel by Dorothy L. Sayers