Russian bell ringing

In the Russian tradition bells are rung by tolling ie moving only the clapper not by swinging the entire bell. A complex system of ropes is gathered at one point, where the bell-ringer (zvonar) stands.


There is no melody in Russian bell music instead there is a polyrhythmical sequence of sounds using the the interaction of the timbres of the different bells.

Russian bells (unlike Western European ones) are not tuned to a single note. Western bells usually have an octave between the loudest upper tone ("ring") and the loudest lower tone ("hum"). Russian bells have a seventh between these sounds. Generally, a good Russian bell is tuned to produce a whole scale of sounds (up to several tens of them).

Here's a video which demonstrates the power and drama of Russian bell ringing - the player is Victorpodsnezhnik.

The piece is long but worth staying with - and there's a great sustain at the end.