Organizing handbell music

[Beckie]

I'm in the process of updating the filing system for bell music at my church. Currently 2-3 octave music is alphabetized separately from 3-5 octave music. Christmas music is also alphabetized separately. What works best for you? Should I keep it separate or alphabetize everything together? 

I am also creating a spread sheet to inventory all of the music. What info about the music should I include?

I welcome your ideas!! Many thanks!!

Beckie Wiley

Asbury Ringers

Asbury UMC

Livermore,CA

Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 19, 2013, at 8:07 PM, handb...@googlegroups.com wrote:

  Today's Topic Summary

Group: http://groups.google.com/group/handbell-l/topics

• something eatin my handles [1 Update]
• Hilty Method [1 Update]

 something eatin my handles

TimR <timot...@aol.com> Feb 19 05:50PM -0800  

Tonight after replacing the spring on Bb 4, I noticed the edge of the
handle was all chewed up. Numerous small chips or gouges made it
uncomfortable to hold. If you weren't wearing gloves it would be very
abrasive on the hands.
 
Checking the rest, I found quite a few like that.
 
What causes that? They are stored securely in the Schulmerich cases. I
imagine they get bumped by the rim of an adjacent bell occasionally, but is
that really enough to damage them?
 
What's the cure, fine sandpaper?


 

 Hilty Method

HandMeTheBell <KleoMast...@aol.com> Feb 19 11:51AM -0800  

Ellie,

I used to direct a group that had for many years used Hilty assignments.
When I became their director, I quickly weened them off of that into
assignments that I thought were more reasonable and musical. However, they
had 3 octaves and often only 10-11 ringers. Never as few as 6 or 8
though. When we only had 9 or 10, we basically did what you would do in
any other assignment methodology, we used the "standard" assignments Hilty
had used, then looked at the notes left unplayed by the open positions.
After looking at the music, I would farm the remaining notes out on a case
by case basis for what worked best in that piece of music. We also tried
to give additional notes to ringers who were stronger and could handle the
challenge of additional notes. Even if everyone was there, we found that
in certain keys, there were still ringers who ended up having to 4ih to
some extent when 3 of their 3-4 notes were quite busy.

You're probably asking because you're wanting to know what the assignments
worked out to be. As always, it seems creating your own assignments as the
director is the way to go based on the needs of your group and the piece of
music. Ways I could see you accomplishing your goal:

1. Give the 6-8 ringers "standard" Hilty assignments and then divide the
3-5 remaining parts among them, either based on music/ability or perhaps
related to the 'busyness" of the parts already spoken for. Perhaps one of
the 6-8 parts isn't so busy and could take on a few more notes from the
excess parts than the other ringers.

2. Give the 6-8 ringers 'standard" Hilty assignments and then divide the
remaining parts among the ringers based on a standard assignment approach.
For instance, if you have the F#5, C6, G6 part unassigned, perhaps it's
possible to give the F#5 to the F#6 ringer, the C6 to the C7 ringer, and so
on. Or maybe you could pair the reamining notes in a more standard fashion
based on the music (e.g. A5 goes to the B5 ringer).

3. Re-devise a Hilty-style assignment system on your own. I rang with a
group that used a modified Hilty assignment method in the bass, but
chromatic (mostly) assignments in the treble. For instance, they assigned
C3 and C#3 to Ringer 1, D3 to Ringer 2, Eb3 and E3 ro Ringer 3, F3 and F#3
to Ringer 4, and G3 to Ringer 5. Then, they would start assigning up from
there starting with Ringer 1 again. Based on the key, the enharmonic notes
would alternate from the ringers on either side. This did make it possible
for less ringers to play more notes (C3-C5 is assigned to 6 ringers in
"standard assignments" but they were able to assign all bass notes with
only 5), but it also had challenges as well, as the assignments were in
6ths, which made stacked chords a challenge for one ringer to play.
Thankfully, these ringers were good at sharing and helping each other out,
so it worked. Anyway - devising your own Hilty-like assignment system
might be possible. Maybe if you have 8 ringers, start with C4 and go up
from there and see where it leads you, being careful to make sure one
player doesn't get all the "accidentals" and another gets 4 natural notes.

4. Ask yourself is it really necessary to assign in this way for the
project/music you're trying to accomplish, and would it be possible to use
some other assignment possibilities that would be more useful and/or
musical :-)


-Josh Fitzgerald


 
On Sunday, February 17, 2013 11:12:02 PM UTC-5, Ellie Hodder


 

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[gj berg]

I have 2-3, 3-4, 3-5, etc., all alphabetical together (I did pull the 2 octave stuff out separately).  I also have color coded choir vs solo/duet/trio/quartet/quintet.

On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 9:37 PM, Beckie <bbwi...@yahoo.com> wrote:

I'm in the process of updating the filing system for bell music at my church. Currently 2-3 octave music is alphabetized separately from 3-5 octave music. Christmas music is also alphabetized separately. What works best for you? Should I keep it separate or alphabetize everything together? 

I am also creating a spread sheet to inventory all of the music. What info about the music should I include?

I welcome your ideas!! Many thanks!!

Beckie Wiley

Asbury Ringers

Asbury UMC

Livermore,CA

Sent from my iPhone

--
gj berg
Elasmobranchology hopeful

[Valerie Stephenson]

Tim, you must stop bringing your pitt bull to rehearsals!  Seriously... this is hard to imagine on those handles as it would take a lot to make gouges.  Besides the pitt bull, are there other groups that use these bells, perhaps some women's groups who bring infants who might take a chomp or too unbeknownsdt to the others?  (Sorry moms, just trying to thing what could cause gouges beside things that bite).  Maybe someone tried to take apart some of these bells, had a hard time and used undo pressure.  Other than these, leave the dog at home. 

    It could also be some human malletors with very bad aim?

    Short story of course:  I used to have a wonderful shih tzu (Clara Schumann was her akc name).  She HATED bells.  When we'd play a recording she run to the farthest of our 3 bathrooms and hide behind the toilet.  So much for her taste in music (but we're sure the overtone levels really hurt her ears).  LV

Valerie W. Stephenson
904-880-1806
vale...@comcast.net
FL State Chair, Handbell Musicians of America
10379 Bigtree Ln, Jacksonville, FL 32257
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician.
I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”
 Albert Einstein

[Linda Krantz]

Hi Beckie!

I  keep an inventory of all my personal music (I have over 1000 titles at the moment) divided by "choir," "ensemble," and "solo."  I set this system up years ago when I had a 4iH quartet which played 2 octave music, which is the "ensemble" category.  They are alphabetical within those categories.  It makes sense to me.

I also keep a detailed Excel spreadsheet with the following categories:

Title

Season

Arranged by

Publisher

Type (choir, ensemble, solo)

Octaves

# of copies

Level

$ (recently added, so I don't have this information for everything yet)

Catalog #

Comments (for things like "tune name," or "cello," or "DBW")

This allows me to sort the spreadsheet in a variety of ways, depending on what I'm looking for (i.e., Christmas solo music).  I've probably had this system in place for 10 years or more and it works for the way I access my music.    I know there are probably better software systems for this inventory, but the spreadsheet sorts easily and I've never had the desire to change the system.

Oh, and I keep a separate tab in the inventory sheet for "collections."  This is where I put all those books of music that are in my bookshelves and not in the file cabinet.  This spreadsheet has similar headings, and I used to list all the titles within the book, but now I just scan the table of contents page into my computer so I can access it there.

Hope this helps!

Linda Krantz

After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.

[Colleen Green]

We do very similar for our church library. Adding in when it was last played, any notes like "excellent", "choir didn't like it", "director didn't like it".....including "mallets", "bell tree", "chimes", "organ", "horn" --- any accompaniments available.

Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh
Colleen

---

[blanch...@cfl.rr.com]

I alphabetize everything together in the file drawer.
My spread sheet covers a LOT, but once I have it there, it makes it easy to find pieces that I want. It includes the following:
Title : Collection : Tune Name : Composer : Arranger : Publisher : Call # : Octaves : Chimes : Level : added instruments : Season : Scripture : # copies : Performance date
Blanche Marie

[F Simpson]

We use "mark - n - park". As each new piece comes into the library, it is give the next number in the series and placed on the end of the stack. No re-shelving needed - ever! We have both a database and a 3x5 card system too.



Thomas

[Ann F]

For you folks who have a category for season, do you enter the work twice if it's appropriate for more than one season? Thinking of McChesney's arrangement of Now the Green Blade Rises/Sing We Now of Christmas as an example.

I do similarly with a spreadsheet. also colour code the hanging file folders as to number of octaves and the Christmas music is in a different coloured folder.

Ann

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**************************************************
Family web site: http://clients.teksavvy.com/~frederking/
2012 Christmas letter - http://clients.teksavvy.com/~frederking/Xmas2012_letter.pdf

Ann's hostas - about 180 varieties, updated for 2012:
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Ottawa Chamber Orchestra - http://www.ottawachamberorchestra.com/
Emmanubells Handbell Team - http://www.emmanuelunited.ca/worship_renewal/bells.php
**************************************************

[Michele Sharik]

This is the system I prefer, too!

Sent from my iPad so please excuse any typos or AutoCorrect weirdness

[Linda Ashley]

I have my music separated by 1) Solo and other small ensemble music (less than two octave choirs), 2) most all other music for full choirs, 3) Christmas. I have books/collections separately. My spreadsheet has the following: Title, Composer/Arranger, Publisher, Catalog#, Year published, Level, Octave range, Additional Instrumentation/voices, number of copies. I also have a notation for whether the piece is one that has been marked for my young ringers. I have thought about adding the season of the year it is appropriate for.

Linda Ashley 

[Beth LaMee]

We do the same. I do keep a spreadsheet file in number order and alphabetical number so that I can quickly find something specific that I am looking for. I also have notebooks that contain all of my director copies, so if I am not looking for something specific that I do not have to pull one copy from each file to look at it.

 

My hymn accompaniments I keep in alphabetical order, and I have a spreadsheet organized by title, UM hymn number or (Celebration hymnal number if it applies) and hymn tune name.

 

I do have my solos, duets, trios, quartets and small ensembles filled separately by season.

 

Beth LaMee

 

" For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord,' plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Jeremiah 29:11-13

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Subject: Re: [HB-L] Organizing handbell music

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[Colin Walker]

While I'm not a good person to ask about filing.  I prescribe to the file-by-pile method until my wife tells me to put the music back in the filing cabinet because it's taking over the dining room table.  That being said, I have a ringer who volunteered to create a spreadsheet of all music in the library two summers ago.  I now have around 90% of the library catalogued, with only new stuff since then and the random file drawer in my basement that I missed not in the spreadsheet.  It's been very helpful to have the info, and since I had a willing volunteer, I was able to get a ton of information collected.  Here are the fields:

Title (i.e. Now the Green Blade Rises)
Subtitle  (i.e. Sing We Now of Christmas)
Arranger(s)
Tune Name 
Catalog Number
Level
# of Copies
Publisher
Publish Year
Parent Publication (i.e. if it's part of a collection - Ready to Ring, etc.)
# of Octaves-BELL
# of Octaves-CHIMES
Vocal Part
Instrumental Part
Scripture Reference
Performance Dates  (would be nice to use this field, but I haven't actually updated it... maybe sometime)
Owner  (my library vs. the church's)
Comments   

I always start with more fields than I think I'll use and pare it down from there.  It's especially helpful to capture the published year, since publishers seem to enjoy slapping a new cover on a piece, updating the notation, increasing the price, and marketing it as new.  Gramann's Divinium Mysterium, for example, exists in its original form in the church library from 20-30 years ago, and also as Change Ring On... from a few years ago.  In the spreadsheet, this would show up under a tune name search.

Hope this helps!
Colin Walker
Director of Handbells
Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Bellevue WA

[Daniel Reck]

Hi Beckie,

For my personal music, as well as at our church, we keep a spreadsheet much like the ones that everyone has described.  Our church system started as a card catalog back when we started our handbell library in 1965, but we eventually moved all this into a spreadsheet, too.

The spreadsheet is nice because you can sort and filter it however you like when you're looking for a piece of music.  It keeps everything perfectly accessible and organized.

At first glance, however, our actual file cabinets containing the music do not appear to be organized.  We do not alphabetize, sort by octave, or organize by season or style.  Each piece is simply filed in order of acquisition since 1965, starting with file number 100.  We are now up to file number 3000 or so. 

However, it EASY AND FAST to find the piece we want.  Simply look at the spreadsheet, pick the piece we want to find, look at the file number, walk over to the correct well-labeled file cabinet, and pull out the music.  Presto!

For good measure, every piece of music is stamped on the cover with its file number so that it's easy to get it back where it belongs. (We don't even have to remember the alphabet, count the octaves, or guess which season it was filed under!) 

The hardest part of this system is to remember to enter that brand-spankin-new music into the spreadsheet, stamp it, and put it in the cabinet.  As long as that's done, we're good to go.

Ring on!

Daniel

--

  Daniel M. Reck

  Media Director, Allegro Handbell Ensemble

  http://allegrobells.org

[Ruben Mendoza]

Be sure to back up your spreadsheet! In the cloud, CD, memory stick. Keep physical backups in different locations (church & home). Just saying...

Ruben

[Barbara Brocker]

We had so many options that we developed a database in Microsoft Access where we code one piece of music in several categories.  We can draw lists by season, number of octaves, number of ringers, level, etc.  If you’d like info on how it’s set up, please email me privately.

 

Barb Brocker 

bfbfb...@gmail.com

[Karen Eastburn]

Beckie,

I am not in favor or organizing music in a physical sense but find the invention of the pc to be very helpful in allowing you to find what you need without "letitng your fingers do the walking." 

 

We started out with our music by octave designations but our program grew larger every year, more music kept being acquired. Eventually it can be unweildly to keep up with in the alpha/octave arrangement. Not only that, if you use the computer to log your music and the attributes that matter to you, then you can sort in any way you like using one or more of the attributes to filter titles: by octaves, by level,  by accompaniment, by season, composer/arranger, date last performed, techniques, chimes or no chimes, and on and on. Or by, 2 octave/Easter/accompanied by piano. With your physically arranged system you would have to look through all the 2 octave music or at the least all the 2 octave Easter music.

 

Plus it also allows you to document your library in the case of a disaster of which we were almost victims of when a water pipe leaked into our library. Luckily I was right there and able to avert diasater to our basement library. How much music and what did it cost you? If you log it you will always know. Plus, if it is a numerical system sorted by the pc, then ANYONE can help you file. They need not know anything about handbells only match up the file number with the folder.

 

Just my opinion based on my own experience. I use a software program that I would not particularly recommend. Excel, if protected from incorrect sorting would work just as well. Or Access as mentioned before by Barbara.

 

Good luck!

Karen Eastburn

[Mark Gourley]

Barb,

I would love to see how you set this up.

All best,

Mark Gourley

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[Debbie Shaw]

Barb,

I too, would love to see how you set this up.  My Mother, before she passed, had her church choral library set up in Access but I never learned how she did it.  I do recall that she also include the text of the piece in database as well.   I just became the Director of Handbells at my church and the library really needs a better system, 

Thanks!

Debbie Shaw

--
Debbie Shaw