Glockenspiel

Early glockenspiels were percussion instruments that produced notes via small, tuned bronze bells struck with a drumstick. The bells were replaced by metal sound plates in the 17th century. In the 18th century the instrument was played using a keyboard that struck the bottom of each plate with a hammer. The use of mallets evolved during the 19th century, coinciding with Romanticism.

musician playing a horizontal bell lyre]] When used in a marching or military band, the bars are sometimes mounted in a portable case and held vertically, sometimes in a lyre-shaped frame. However, the bars may be held horizontally, using a harness similar to that found on a marching snare. In orchestral use, the bars are mounted horizontally. Larger sets of glockenspiel (i.e., sets three octaves or larger) are often equipped with a sustain pedal, not unlike that of a vibraphone. From 1918 to 1932, J.C. Deagan, Inc. manufactured bells equipped with a resonator under the name Parsifal bells. Both Adams and Yamaha model their professional-grade glockenspiels on the Deagan design.