g-l-o-c-k-e-n-s-p-i-e-l
GLOCKENSPIEL is a percussion instrument consisting of tuned metal bars arranged like a keyboard, played with mallets to produce bright, bell-like tones.
21
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
A GLOCKENSPIEL is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family, consisting of a set of tuned metal bars arranged in the fashion of a keyboard. The bars are struck with mallets (typically made of hard plastic, rubber, or metal) to produce musical tones. The name literally means "bell play" in German.
The instrument produces a bright, penetrating sound with a distinctive metallic timbre. Modern glockenspiels typically have a range of 2.5 to 3 octaves, with the bars mounted horizontally on a frame. The instrument is commonly used in orchestras, marching bands, and various musical ensembles.
Key characteristics:
The word glockenspiel comes directly from German, composed of Glocken (bells) + Spiel (play or game). It literally translates to "bell play" or "playing bells." The term entered English in the early 19th century (around 1825) as German musical instruments and terminology became more widespread in orchestral music.
The instrument's ancestors include medieval bell chimes and the carillon. The modern orchestral glockenspiel evolved in the 17th century in the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it was originally a set of actual bells before transitioning to metal bars for practicality and portability.
Interestingly, what Americans call a "glockenspiel" is sometimes referred to as "orchestral bells" or simply "bells" in orchestral scores, while in German-speaking countries, the term encompasses a broader range of bell-like instruments.
The concert version used in symphonies
Portable version for bands
Musician who plays the instrument
Specialized beaters for the instrument
•The glockenspiel is featured in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"
•The instrument's sound carries exceptionally well, making it audible even over a full orchestra
•A keyboard glockenspiel is different from a concert xylophone - glockenspiels use metal bars while xylophones use wooden bars
•Famous rock bands like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Bruce Springsteen have incorporated glockenspiel into their recordings
"The glockenspiel's bright, crystalline tones added a magical quality to the orchestral arrangement."
"She practiced her glockenspiel part diligently, knowing that its precise, bell-like notes would be prominently featured in the concert."
Plural Form
glockenspiels
The orchestra had three glockenspiels for the special performance.
Similar length and difficulty words
Total base points: 21 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 4 | Consonants: 8
Featured prominently in works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and modern composers for its distinctive bell-like quality.
Used by bands like The Beatles, Radiohead, and Jimi Hendrix to add ethereal textures.
Common in music education programs due to its visual layout matching piano keys.
Creates magical, whimsical, or childhood-associated sounds in movie soundtracks.
Confusing with xylophone
Glockenspiels have metal bars, xylophones have wooden bars
Pronunciation as "glock-en-speel"
Correct: GLOCK-en-shpeel
Thinking it's a type of bell
It's a percussion instrument with metal bars, not actual bells
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like GLOCKENSPIEL