The glockenspiel (/ˈɡlɒkənʃpiːl/ GLO-kən-shpeel; German pronunciation: [ˈɡlɔkənˌʃpiːl] or [ˈɡlɔkn̩ˌʃpiːl], Glocken: bells and Spiel: play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout.

The glockenspiel is played by striking the bars with mallets, often made of a hard material such as metal or plastic.

Its clear, high-pitched tone is often heard in orchestras, wind ensembles, marching bands, and in popular music.

'set of small bells') in French, although this term may sometimes be specifically reserved for the keyboard glockenspiel.

[5] Early glockenspiels were percussion instruments that produced notes via small bronze bells that were tuned with a drumstick.

[7] When used in a marching or military band, the bars are sometimes mounted in a portable case and held vertically, sometimes in a lyre-shaped frame.

[10] The glockenspiel is played with unwrapped mallets made of hard material, such as metal (usually brass or aluminum) or a type of polymer (usually Lexan, acrylic, phenolic, or nylon).

Since the middle of the 19th century this form has been used in military and civil bands in Germany, where it is called a Stahlspiel or Militär-Glockenspiel.