A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Bell

BELL (Fr. pavillon). The everted opening in which most wind instruments terminate; especially those made of brass. It undoubtedly adds to the power of the tone, on the same principle as the speaking-trumpet reinforces the voice, though the exact cause of the fact is not known. It was erroneously maintained by Sax that the material of the bell exercises no influence on the quality of the tone. Notes of exactly similar pitch with those from brass or wood can of course be obtained, as he stated, from similar bells made of leather, gutta percha, or papiermâché. Even a trumpet-shaped orifice in a solid wall, fitted with a mouthpiece, gives all the open notes of a wind instrument. But the quality and timbre are found to be very different when compared with the real instrument.

[ W. H. S. ]