the duration of the note) TD ("thumb damp", ringing the bell with a thumb on the casting to create a staccato note) PL ("pluck", which means to throw down the clapper while the bell lies on the table) ▼ ("martellato", to strike bell against padding of the table, pushing the casting firmly against padding as to quickly dampen sound) SW ("swing", to play the bell in a normal position, swing it down to the waist, then bring it back up) BD ("brush damp", brushing the rim of the bell against the ringer's chest to cause a quick diminuendo) and ↑ or ("echo", ringing the bell and then touching it very briefly to the table, creating an echo effect). ⨥ ("mallet with handbell on table", to use mallets to strike the casting of the bell on the table, creating a staccato effect). + ("mallet on suspended handbell", to hold the bell upright and strike the casting with a mallet, creating the same sound as a normal ring albeit a softer strike). Handbell tree Handbells can be played as a handbell tree where the handles are interlaced within each other, allowing multiple bells to be played with mallets to obtain an undamped sound. This performance technique was invented by Louise Frier in the 1980s. It was further developed by Barbara Brocker who developed a standardized bell layout. It is used by many soloists. The notational symbol used for Handbell Tree features a series of interlocking diagonal lines, one for each handbell. The pitch is placed at the lowest point of each diagonal line. See also Bell shrine Belleplates Campanology Handchime Dead bell Angklung Other Composers and arrangers Cynthia Dobrinski Performers Bells on Temple Square Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir Pikes Peak Ringers The Raleigh Ringers References Sources Bourke, Cormac. The Early Medieval Hand-bells of Ireland and Britain. Dublin: Wordwell, 2022. External links Handbell Ringers of Great Britain Handbell Musicians of America Schulmerich Bells Malmark Bells Bells (percussion) European percussion instruments Hand percussion Struck idiophones Idiophones struck directly Pitched percussion instruments