St. Louis Symphony Principal Percussionist Will James recently sent us this informative video with some really useful tips on playing the chimes. Also known as “tubular bells”, many players assume that it is easy to play orchestral chimes. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
About Neil
Neil W. Grover is widely recognized as one of the most influential percussionists of our time. As a musician, educator, designer, and entrepreneur, he has contributed immensely to the percussive arts and left an indelible mark on the global percussion community.
Having performed for over 40 years with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, he holds the distinction of having performed on the soundtrack for one of the most successful blockbuster movies of all time (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) and with the iconic rock band, Aerosmith.
Not only is Grover an accomplished performer, author, and music educator, but he has also been instrumental in developing and designing world-class percussion instruments. He founded Grover Pro Percussion, a company that has been at the forefront of percussion instrument design and manufacture since 1979. The company has consistently produced high-quality instruments that are used by top professionals and students worldwide.
As an educator, Grover has taught at some of the most prestigious music schools, including the Boston Conservatory of Music. He has been an invited lecturer on percussion at over 100 schools around the globe. His students have gone on to become some of the most successful percussionists in the world.
Grover's contributions to percussion music extend beyond his work as a performer, designer, and educator. He has also been instrumental in developing new percussion techniques that have today become standard in contemporary percussion music.
One of Grover's most significant contributions to percussion music is his work on the concept of “quantum-sonics” He has developed a method of playing that emphasizes the importance of breaking down sound production into cells that when understood and utilized improve the sound of any percussion instrument. This method has been adopted by many percussionists who perform at the highest levels of the art.
Hi,
I am a retired tubular bell master tuner from Musser. At Musser, I made several major changes to the production and tuning process. Here is what I found.
If there is movement in the sound, the tube is out of tune. There must be a straight sound for the tube to be tuned properly. Can the movements be removed? Yes. I also was able to tune the F#6 and G6 so that the fundamental sound stays longer so the ear can recognize the note and not hear the overtone. We had many complaints on those 2 tubes. After making adjustments, the complaints stopped. I also found that the F#5 thru A#5 had massive amounts of movement. Many of these tubes were scrapped (55 gallon barrels full) I made changes in the manufacturing process and reduced the scrap by 95%. To find out if a tube is out of tune, I look at each tube as having 6 sides, 3 on the side you are facing and 3 on the back side, Tap the tube on the right side and listen. Is the sound straight or is there movement. Then hit the left side is it straight or is there movement. You will always have a straight sound on one of these sides. Set your strobe to the straight side then tap the other side it will be either sharp or flat making the tube out of tune. These are just a few changes I made at Musser. I hope I was of some help. I also had the honor of re-working Mike Oldfield’s set that was used in his recording.
Best regards,
Bob Piotrowski