that the clapper strikes the casting immediately after the bell strikes the foam. A variation called a "Mart Lift" is accomplished by lifting the bell off the table very soon after the clapper strikes. This creates a staccato tone followed by a softened sounding of the bell. Plucking is accomplished by using the thumb and forefinger to force the clapper head into the casting while the bell is on the table with the handle toward the ringer, producing a staccato tone. Shaking is accomplished by rapidly ringing the bell back and forth so the clapper strikes the front and back of the casting in quick succession. This creates a continuous sound, as opposed to normal ringing in which the tone decays rapidly after sounding. Because of their size, bass bells are rarely shaken. A suspended mallet roll is usually played if a shaking sound is desired on a bass bell. The singing bell technique creates a sustained pitch similar to the sound a wineglass makes as its rim is rubbed with a wet fingertip and is accomplished in much the same way. A short wooden dowel is touched to the outside of the rim of a handbell which is being held in the other hand. The dowel is then used to rub the rim in a circular motion. The Singing Bell technique is adapted from the "Singing Bowl" tradition of Tibet. A tower swing is when the bell is rung and then swung down and a bit behind the ringer and back up to the normal position. This creates an "echo" effect. The mouth of the bell must rotate around to create the sound change that resembles a tower bell. Usually this is done over a period of three or four beats. Thumb damp provides a staccato sound similar to plucking or malleting on the table. This is often described as a "tinkling" sound. The bell is rung with a thumb and/or several fingers touching the outside below the rim; this damps the sound immediately after the bell is rung. This technique can often be easier than plucking or malleting with smaller bells. Notation There are a number of abbreviations and notations used exclusively or almost exclusively in handbell music: LV ("laissez vibrer" or "let vibrate", similar to a piano's sustain pedal) R ("ring", regular ringing or meaning to end the LV) SK ("shake", i.e. shaking the bell continuously during