Description
The cowbell, an idiophonic hand percussion instrument, is used in various music genres, such as Latin and rock. It takes its name from the bell of the same name used by shepherds to locate cows. Traditionally, the instrument is made of metal, but today there are also versions made of synthetic materials. Tuned cowbells, or Almglocken ('Alm' stands for mountain pasture and 'Glocken' for bells in German), also known as Alpine bells, are usually spherical brass bells used for playing music. They sometimes serve as a curiosity or tourist attraction in the northern Alps and are also used in classical music, such as in Richard Strauss's Alpine Symphony. These bells have different tunings to identify individual animals and to gather them "from the pasture"; however, there are also commercially available equal-tempered sets. The metal clapper is retained, and they sound considerably louder than handbells, which are used in a similar way in ensembles.
