What is a carillon?

A carillon is a musical instrument.

A carillon is a set bronze octave-bells, arranged in chromatic sequence, so tuned as to produce concordant harmony when many bells are sounded together.  It is played from a keyboard that allows not only expression through variation of touch but also full controle over the instrument.  The keys are struck with the half-closed hand of with open hand (when played 2 keys at the time).  In addition, the larger bells are connected to foot pedals.

The official number of bells is 23.  "A carillon is composed of at least 23 bells...".  This is not a magic number.  Some historical carillons with keyboard will have less bells.  On the other hand, a new carillon made of 23 bells is not a carillon anymore.  All written music for carillon is ment for at least 4 octaves.  A modern Carillon has at least 4 to 5 octave of carillon bells (49 to 61 or more).  4 Ocatves has been a standard for more than a century.  Nearly all new carillons has 5 octaves, due to technical improvement in making small bells.

Carillons are installed in a tower in a partially enclosed bell chamber which helps soften and blend the tones.    The keyboard and the carillon cabin are put close to the bells, either in a room directly below/besides/above the bells or placed in a cabin located in the bellchamber among the bells. 

Carillons transposes or are tuned in concert pitch. 

Variety of carillons.

The so called "Grand" carillons are tuned in concert pitch.  They have an extended pedal (2 or 2 1/2) which goes down to somewhere low F° or G°.  The sound you hear, in contradiction to the word "Grand", is lighter when classic carillon music is played on this instrument.  Carillon pieces need to be transcribed for these instruments in order to have the same sound-effect compared to classic heavy standard carillons (eg. Ghent, Mechelen, Dordrecht ...).

A travelling carillon is a carillon that have been mounted on a truck or a trailer so that they can be moved from place to place.  

What is not a carillon?

An instrument which is like a carillon in terms of the number of bells, but which has only automatic action, is not a carillon but a chime.  These can also be found through the Tower Directory, where they are identified as "non-traditional carillons".

An instrument which is like a carillon but has less than 23 bells is called a chime.  Several different types of playing mechanism are used in chimes, and the musical capabilities are distinctly less.  Although chimes are found in as many parts of the world as carillons are, there was a uniquely American development of them in the 19th century.  About 700 are known in North America, and more than 500 in the rest of the world; they can also be found through the Tower Directory., or else hanging from an exposed bell frame.

Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology (such as carillon ringing) in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody.

A Russian carillon is tuned to an Eastern scale of harmonies which require a certain amount of experience, appreciation, and patience before it can be fully appreciated. 

A Chinese carillon consist of a set of two-tones bells, played by a group of musicians.  Along the bottom these bells are "played" with a long pole used like a ram, not a bat. The pole is wood, about eight feet (8') long and two inches (2") in diameter with a leather-padded end. On fast tunes, the musicians are very busy moving from one bell to the next.

Can we claim the word "carillon" exclusively for our definition of carillon?  What about the Chinese carillon or the Russian carillon?  Shouldn't we rename the word "carillon" into "Western Carillon"?