How can I learn to play the carillon?

The carillon is one of the most unique musical instruments in the world. Students from all backgrounds are welcome to learn to play! The magic of the carillon is that it inspires us to learn and celebrate music.

Students begin learning by finding the closest tower to them and setting up lessons with its resident carillonneur. (GCNA members have access to a database of carillonneurs across North America and beyond.) Students learn on a practice keyboard, which resembles carillon keyboards but the bells are replaced with an electronic sound system, tone bars like those of a xylophone, or something else. Many, but not all carillons have a practice keyboard, and it's important to have access to one. Some companies offer practice keyboards for rent or purchase.

Through masterclasses, students get new perspectives from teachers outside their own (Credit: Scott Hummel)

With their teacher, students learn the basic skills of playing and instrument maintenance. They also travel to other carillons to discover what makes each of them unique to play. In addition to performance skills, students should learn the history and science of bells, music theory, and composition. Music arranging and improvisation are important skills to learn as well because music played on a carillon is often adapted from existing music for other instruments.

Method books are a useful starting point for students because they contain beginner-level selections of music and tips on specific performance skills. Below are some books currently for sale:

Sold by the GCNA

• Playing the Carillon: An Introductory Method, by John Gouwens (also has a video lesson)

Sold elsewhere

• A New Carillon Book, by Ellen Dickinson
• Making Music on the Carillon, by Jeremy Chesman
• Method of Carillon Playing with "Contact-Technique", by Koen Van Assche (also has an online guide)
• Carillon playing, by Leen 't Hart, translated by Todd Fair
• Carillon Music for Beginners series by Carlo van Ulft (Prequel, Volume I, Volume II, and Volume III)

About a third of carillons in North America are located on college campuses, so many have the chance to learn to play carillon while they attend school. They may volunteer at a student carillonneur guild, receive instruction for class credit, and even in some cases earn a music degree in carillon. Full-time students enjoy reduced membership dues as GCNA members and a discount at our music store.

Student guilds exist at many universities, such as the University of Michigan's pictured here in Cleveland Heights, Ohio (Courtesy: Carson Landry)

Carillonneurs may establish residency at an individual tower, where they are then responsible for playing regular concerts among many other responsibilities, such as teaching, composition, and research work. Others may become traveling recitalists, regularly going on tour to play at towers across North America or even the world. Many competitions in carillon performance and carillon composition allow anyone in the world to participate.

Some carillon students choose to learn at specialized carillon schools, such as the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" in Mechelen, Belgium; the Netherlands Carillon School in Amersfoort, Netherlands; the Scandinavian Carillon School in Løgumkloster, Denmark; and the North American Carillon School, a decentralized school headquartered in Springfield, Illinois.

The GCNA exams, which certify a carillonneur's intermediate or advanced playing ability, are a crucial milestone in any student's education and professional development.

Join the GCNA