More frequently asked questions about carillons

Carillon is pronounced CARE-uh-lahn, sounding somewhat like the name Caroline. Some who encounter the word for the first time may say it as ke-RILL-yen, rhyming with million, but notice that there is only one "i"!

Like many musical instruments, the carillon does not have a specific invention date. It developed over several centuries into the instrument we know today. The earliest documented instrument that historians would call a carillon dates to the late 15th century.

There are more than 700 carillons across the world. The top 5 countries with the most carillons are the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, France, and Germany. In North America, there are nearly 200.

Check with our tower directory to find the nearest carillon.

The biggest carillon in the world is at Patriot Park in Kubinka, Russia. It has the most number of bells, 78, and is the heaviest, with a bourdon (heaviest bell) weighing 22 tons (20 metric). It is the largest tuned bell ever made.

Prior to that carillon's installation in 2019, the title of "biggest carillon" was split across 3 winners. In terms of number of bells, a carillon at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and another at Daejeon Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, South Korea, both had 77. In terms of weight, the carillon at Riverside Church in New York City was the heaviest, with a bourdon weighing 20 tons (18 metric). Until the Olympic Bell's creation in 2012, Riverside's bourdon was the largest tuned bell ever made. Until 1960, carillon also held the record for the most bells. It has 74.

Bells have a unique series of partial tones, or overtones, that differ from traditional Western string or wind instruments. Namely, bells have a prominent minor-third overtone. The larger the bell, the more prominent the overtones. The major chord C-E-G played on very large bells will sound "out of tune"; on very small bells, it will sound less so. Minor chords and diminished chords will sound natural on a carillon.

According to our bylaws, a carillon has at least 2 octaves of bells (23 bells). We label smaller instruments as chimes.