Chimes in Central and South America
index by weight (pitch)

The table below is an index to 22 existing Central and South American chimes, in order by the pitch of the bourdon (heaviest bell of the main keyboard range).  Instruments with the same bourdon pitch are in descending order by number of bells, then by missing semitones, then by country.  The key to the four column headings is at the end of the table, along with some other notes.

    Location (City : Country)               Note Chr  Nr  Transp

bourdon in the bass octave (20000 to 3000 kg) - 0 instruments

 [none known]

bourdon in the middle octave (2500 to 300 kg) - 6 instruments

COTIA                         : BRAZIL       F   -   19   -
PORT OF SPAIN - HT            : TRINIDAD     F   -    8   -
PORT-AU-PRINCE                : HAITI        F#  -   15   -
(UNKNOWN)                     : TRINIDAD     G   -    8   -
SMITH'S PARISH                : BERMUDA      G#  I   10   -
VALDIVIA                      : CHILE        A#  Z   22   -

bourdon in the treble octave (250 to 60 kg) - 4 instruments

ANTIGUA                       : B. W. I.     C   -   14   -
WILLEMSTAD - SF/1             : NED.ANTIL.   D   -   13   -
CARACAS                       : VENEZUELA    E   -   19   -
PARAMARIBO - J                : SURINAME     F   X   14  12

bourdon in the "itty-bitty" octave (55 kg or less) - 3 instruments

WILLEMSTAD - CB/1             : NED.ANTIL.   C   -   18   -
WILLEMSTAD - CB/2             : NED.ANTIL.   C   -   18   -
ORANJESTAD - H                : NED.ANTIL.   C   -   12   -

bourdon unknown - 9 instruments

BRASILIA                      : BRAZIL       -   -   18   -
ARUBA                         : NED.ANTIL.   -   -   14   -
LA FLORIDA                    : CHILE        -   -   16   -
ORANJESTAD - RP               : NED.ANTIL.   -   -   14   -
CARTAGO                       : COSTA RICA   -   -   12   -
MONTEGO BAY                   : JAMAICA      -   -   12   -
COQUIMBO                      : CHILE        -   -    9   -
CIENFUEGOS                    : CUBA         -   -    8   -
GUAITARILLA                   : COLOMBIA     -   -    8   -

Key to column headings:

Note

pitch of the bourdon (bass bell) of the chime. (In rare instances there may be a heavier sub-bourdon bell; see below.)

Chr

chromatics indicator:
Z = fully chromatic (no missing semitones)
Y = missing one semitone in the bass (typically keyboard C# or B)
X = missing two semitones in the bass (typically keyboard C#,D# or B,C#)
+X = same as "X" but has an additional sub-bourdon bell, separated by at least two semitones from the one indicated under "Note".
*X = same as "X" but also has a treble semitone missing somewhere.
H = purely diatonic (no added semitones)
I = one added semitone (typically keyboard Bb)
J = two added semitones (typically keyboard F# and Bb)
K = three added semitones
L = four added semitones
M = five added semitones (but without reaching chromatic status X, Y or Z)
- = unknown (or not applicable)

Nr

number of bells (notes) in the chime.

Transp

transposition from the keyboard notes to the pitches of the corresponding bells, in semitones.  (Thus the number "12" reflects transposition upward one octave, while "-3" reflects transposition downward by a minor third.)

Notes:

The table is sorted first on the pitch of the bass bell, then on the number of bells, then on the chromatics indicator, then on city.  The actual weight of the bass bell is not used.

The weight range indicators for each octave are only gross approximations, and should not be taken to represent any specific bell.

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Return to Indexes to chimes in Central and South America.

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This page was created 2010/02/16 and last revised 2024/08/23.

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