Description
On the G4, the clapper has three positions: the opposed Soft position’s felt surfaces produce a strong, dominant fundamental; the Medium’s slotted sections produce the fundamental with equal or increased volume of the 12th for additional brightness; the Hard position of solid plastic produces a still stronger 12th and upper partials for outdoor carrying power. The clapper designations of Soft, Medium, and Hard refer to the density of the clapper material and not to how the bell is to be rung. The different settings give a different timbre or tonal color which provides a new opportunity for interpretation of passages within a musical selection beyond that of dynamic levels.
Bells having a higher pitch than A#4 are not equipped with felted clapper surfaces since as the bells become smaller and higher in pitch, a harder striking surface is needed to properly excite the higher tonal frequencies.
