Suzuki Tonechimes Method, Volume 1: Handbells Book

Feldstein understands that handbell students learn best when they're playing music they recognize and love. This volume pairs the Suzuki approach's sequential learning with melodies that engage students immediately, making the handbell feel like an instrument worth the physical and musical effort it demands.

Playing these arrangements brings immediate satisfaction. The melodies are clear and recognizable, allowing handbell players to focus on technique and ensemble blend rather than struggling to decipher unfamiliar material. There's a warmth and accessibility to the music that makes students feel capable and included.

This book is designed for beginning handbell ensembles working through the Suzuki Tonechimes Method sequence. It's especially valuable for programs introducing handbells to young or newer musicians who benefit from learning familiar, melodically engaging repertoire as they develop technical facility.

• Establish consistent bell placement and damping technique before adding repertoire; sloppy mechanics will undermine even the best arrangements.
• Work through the pieces slowly enough that students can attend to both their own part and the ensemble sound, particularly in pieces with simple harmony.
• Use these arrangements to reinforce the fundamentals of handbell technique: clean attacks, controlled damping, and awareness of how individual bells support the whole.
• Record rehearsals periodically so students can hear how their contributions fit into the larger texture.

Program selections from this volume in concerts where you want to showcase handbell fundamentals alongside more advanced pieces, or use them as the backbone of beginner ensemble performances. They also work well as intermission pieces or as part of a family concert where the familiarity of the melodies draws in audiences unfamiliar with handbells.

• Handbell ringing technique and damping control
• Reading music in treble clef with confidence
• Listening for and adjusting to ensemble balance and intonation
• Performing with rhythmic precision in ensemble context
• Recognizing and playing major melodic patterns and simple harmonic progressions