A Bell is a metallic cup-shaped percussion instrument. It
sounds when struck with a hammer. (One of the 128 Standard General Midi
instruments, code 14). Bells are known from as early as 2000 years BC in
China, India, Greece, and Rome. When casting was discovered, bells were made of
bronze, Large bells have been used in church towers since about 600 AD, to call
the people to worship.
In the orchestra today, some scores may require hand-bells, but usually a set of tubular bells is used instead.