Cymbalum

See also Carillon and Bell chime

The cymbalum (plural cymbala) was the name of two historical instruments, medieval European bells hung and struck with a hammer and Greek kymbalon cymbals. The two instruments may possibly be related, based on the same name being used for both and for the similar "cup-like shape." This relationship in not unique to European bells and cymbals; Persian bells (zang) and cymbals (sanj) share a similar word spread.

The singular cymbalum is a single chime bell, while cymbalum refers to a group of bells (a bell chime).

Chimes, which today are bells and bell sounds (such as clock chimes) derives from cymbala. The term is used for "stationary bells...less extensive than a carillon", such as tubular bells in an orchestra. Chimes is used for groups of bells hung in a "set location", with a "limited range" of tones that are struck. They may be large or small. In simple applications such as on a clock, chimes may be diatonic (two notes, set of two bells).

The word cymbalum would be transferred to the harpsichord as the clavicembalo (Italian) or cembalo (German). It also became an organ stop.