Bell tree

A bell tree is a special kind of musical instrument that belongs to the percussion family. It is made up of several metal bowls that are placed upside down on a vertical rod. These bowls are arranged in order of pitch, and there can be anywhere from about 14 to 28 of them. When a musician slides a beater, such as a triangle beater, a glockenspiel mallet, or a xylophone mallet, down the length of the tree, it creates a smooth, shimmering sound called a glissando.

The bell tree is often used in music to add a bright, sparkling effect at the beginning or end of a piece. This helps to make the music more interesting and complex. Because the bowls are not arranged in a exact musical scale, the sound can sound full and rich when played together.

Famous musicians and bands have used the bell tree in their music. For example, Chick Corea and his group Return To Forever used it on the album Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. The group Santana has also used it. The rock band America even named a song “Bell Tree” after this instrument, which appears on their 1975 album Hearts.

Other musicians like Neil Peart from the band Rush have used the bell tree in songs such as "The Trees" from the album Hemispheres released in 1978. You can hear the bell tree in the official music video for that song as well as on the live album Exit... Stage Left.