Tuning a Bell by Scientific American

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Feb 21, 1911

Tuning a Bell

By Scientific American

"WHAT a beautiful tone that bell has!" is often heard. There are few, however, who know how a bell receives its joyful or solemn tones. All bells, after they are cast and finished, must go through a process of tuning, the same as any other musical instrument, before they respond with a clear, true tone. Every bell sounds five notes, which must blend together in order to produce perfect harmony. The tuning of a bell is done by means of shaving thin bits from various parts of the metal. It is as easy for an expert bell tuner to put a bell in tune, as it is for a piano tuner to adjust his instrument to perfect chords. At first thought it would seem that a bell would be ruined should the tuner shave off too much at the last tuning, of the fifth sound; but such is not the case. He would, however, be obliged to begin over, starting again with the first tone, and shaving the bell till it gave forth its harmonious sound at the fifth tone.—Scientific American.