# A best-fit insterment for sleigh bells
**URL:** https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664
**Category:** MusicBrainz
**Tags:** instruments
**Created:** [February 24, 2025, 10:06am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664 "2025-02-24T10:06:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@donadonasa](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/donadonasa)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2025, 10:06am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664/1 "2025-02-24T10:06:36Z")
I sometimes sees “sleigh bells” in a booklet (about once per 100 recordings), and wonders which instruments I should use for them. Sleigh bells(EN wikipedia shows Jingle bell):[Jingle bell - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_bell)
At this moment, “sleigh bells” nor “Jingle bell” are not in the instruments selection.
So I need to select one of the nearest.
Based on the structure of the insterment, çevgen might be the closest; and it also have a tag of “jingle” - though its too large, and how-it-looks-like is quite different from the sleigh bells. [Percussion instrument “çevgen” - MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/instrument/6682190e-1ead-40cf-903f-76cbe351c019)
From the sound, tambourine without skin might be the closest, but its using cymbals instead of bells.
Other options might be simply using bell, percussion, or other instruments.
At this moment, I usually uses “other instruments” with credit of sleigh bells, but always feeling “aren’t there any better name which I don’t know?”.
Please give me an advice.
---
### Author:  [@ApeKattQuest\_MonkeyPython](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/ApeKattQuest_MonkeyPython)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2025, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664/2 "2025-02-24T12:47:55Z")
Hi! you’re right that çevgen is the wrong instrument for this, infact I’d just use “bell” with the appropriate instrument credit added.
I apologise for the lack of a clear instrument, the truth is that I’s not clear what sort of instrument it _is_, “Jingle-bell” or “sleigh-bell” are different things in different places (as can be evident from the images in the wikipedia article)
so that makes it difficult to make a clear distinction (so that’s why things all the time get pushed off, because there is always even _ **more** _ other instruments to research!)
I’ll make a note on our Ticket [INST-210](https://tickets.metabrainz.org/browse/INST-210) about this, any more information about this or similar is welcome to be added to it!
---
### Author:  [@agatzk](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/agatzk)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2025, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664/4 "2025-02-24T18:50:22Z")
In the US, I think percussionists refer to the item in the image as “sleigh bells”. Perhaps it is a subset of “jingle bells” as a larger umbrella term. To me, “jingle bells” refers to the general idea of “Christmas bells” or simply jingling bells - I wouldn’t usually think of this image when someone says “jingle bells”. “Sleigh bells” however, I would immediately think they were speaking about this item.
Here’s a clip of the U.S. Navy Band performing “Sleigh Ride” with the percussionist using this instrument (link begins at 1:05). This is one of the most popular pieces performed with prominent sleigh bells. [https://youtu.be/xTMc-WAjL-I?si=UndLMhX7Had4o3B8&t=65](https://youtu.be/xTMc-WAjL-I?si=UndLMhX7Had4o3B8&t=65)
---
### Author:  [@agatzk](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/agatzk)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 3:44am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/a-best-fit-insterment-for-sleigh-bells/745664/5 "2025-02-25T03:44:37Z")
Been thinking more about this, I don’t have a preference on the name “jingle bells” or “sleigh bells”, but I think it would be good to have both covered by one instrument.