To view each portion of the booklet click on the Chapter desired.
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Handbells and Hand-Held Chimes in Music Therapy and Special Education
by Joseph Pinson, MA, MT-BC
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If you have any questions about anything in the booklet,
please contact me. I will respond in a timely manner.
joseph.pinson@verizon.net
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Rationale for using bells and chimes
Skills needed for success
Goals and objectives
Long-term benefits
Direct cueing: an effective method
Single line melodies
Two part harmony
Accompaniment patterns
Aaron Champagne and the Bayou Bell Ringers
Basic hand signals and chromatic variations
Positioning fingers for melody
Advantages and limitations
Light boards - an option worth considering
Building your own set of light boards
Arranging music for light boards
Advantages and limitations
Electromechanical devices for ringing bells
Electronic sensors for direct cueing
Using synthesizers for accompaniment
Arranging for synthesizers
Adaptive notation: Williams and McGrew
Teaching good ringing technique
Basic elements of color-coding
Preparing scrolls for performance
Cardinal numbers: the work of Ken Moyers
Charting in the Moyers manner
Useful aspects of cardinal numbers
Combining cardinal numbers and direct cueing
Denton Bell Band: the work of Joseph Pinson
Scoring and charting for the Bell Band
Benefits of public performance
Handbells for persons with visual imipairment
The work of Adele Trytko at Perkins
Guidelines for teaching new material
Adding words to instrumental music
Ordinal numbers for more advanced ringers
The work of Ellen Vanderslice
Advantages and disadvantages
Sample score and grid for one ringer
About the Author
Joseph Pinson, MA, MT-BC, is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Texas Woman’s University in
Denton. He formed his first special needs handbell choir in 1978, when he was director of music
at Denton State School, a residential facility for persons with developmental disabilities. He
presently directs the Denton Bell Band, a choir composed of adults with developmental
disabilities who reside in the community, the Denton Senior Center Chime Choir, and the
Redbud Ringers at the University.
Mr. Pinson is a former member of the board of directors of the American Guild of English
Handbell Ringers (AGEHR), and he has presented information about special needs choirs at
national and regional conferences of the Guild. He is author of Let Everyone Ring
(Schulmerich) and Focus on Participation (AGEHR).
Preface
The information in this online booklet is derived from many sources. Each director
mentioned has devoted many hours developing methods and techniques that have proven
successful with special choirs. It is important to note that every method mentioned will not work
with every choir. A person who wants to develop a special needs choir should be prepared to
try different methods, individually and in combination, in order to determine that which works
best with the particular group of ringers who will be served.
Note: Any reference to handbells in this booklet also applies to hand-held chimes. They
are distinctly different in terms of sound and capabilities, but the methods described herein may
be used with either instrument.