Cloches de traîneau et Grelots

Sleigh bells, wrist bells, cluster bells and bell sticks from EMUS, Groove Masters Percussion and NINO.

All of these are small round bells with a loose ball inside, and what separates them is how they are held, which changes both the sound and who can play them.

Handle sleigh bells are a row of bells on a wooden handle, shaken like a rattle. EMUS makes them with thirteen and with twenty-five bells, and the count decides how thick the sound is. Half-moon models mount the bells on a curved frame with six or nine bells, which is easier to hold flat and easier to strike against a palm for a definite beat.

Wrist and ankle bells strap on, so the sound comes from movement rather than from playing. That makes them the right choice for the youngest children, for dance and movement work, and for anyone who cannot grip an instrument. EMUS stocks single wrist bells, a leather strap version and a pair.

Cluster bells gather several bells on a short handle or a leather grip for a fuller sound in a small package. Jingle taps are a single bell on a stick, giving one clean note rather than a wash. NINO bell sticks come in single and double versions, and NINO sleigh bells in a four-bell model for small hands.