Profile of the Glockenspiel

Name of Instrument:

Glockenspiel, German for "play bell".

Family:

Percussion

How to Play:

Glockenspiels have tuned steel bars or tubes which are struck by the musician using two beaters. The beaters may be made from metal, wood or rubber. The sound of glockenspiels are bright, much like the sound of bells. Orchestral glockenspiels have two rows of steel bars, the first row functions much like the white keys on a piano. The second row represents the black keys.

First Known Glockenspiel:

During the 18th century, glockenspiels became one of the instruments used in a symphony orchestra. Notation for glockenspiels are two octaves lower than they actually sound.

Musicians Who Used Glockenspiel:

Glockenspiels were used in George Gershwin's "An American in Paris".