Counting

Perception of place(s) within a change-row is fundamental to accurate ringing, that perception is developed by listening to ringing and counting the places as the bells strike.

This skill needs to become automatic, and can be practiced both when ringing, and when sitting out.

Rounds and Call Changes

Ringing rounds, the bells are numbered with the same number as the places in which they ring. Count:
On 6: count the places:
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
etc.

If you are ringing 1-2, emphasise bells in places 1 and 2 (shown in bold below):
On 6: count the places:
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
etc.

If you are ringing 1-2 to queens, the bells strike in the order
1-3-5-2-4-6-1-3-5-2-4-6
On 6: count the places:
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
etc.

If you are ringing 3-4 to tittums, the bells strike in the order
1-4-2-5-3-6-1-4-2-5-3-6
On 6: count the places:
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2-3-4-5-6 gap
etc.

If you are ringing 5-6 to Whittingtons on 8 bells, the bells strike in the order
1-2-7-5-3-4-6-8-1-2-7-5-3-4-6-8
Count the places:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 gap
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 gap
etc.

Change Ringing

Further examples of counting for the various pairs can be found at:
Plain Hunting
and
Plain Bob Minor
.

Assimilating the skill.

All "motor skills" are learned at the conscious level and then taken over by the subconscious. Walking is a good example; when I was born I did not know how to do it, then I learned, and for the rest of my life I have not had to think about how to do it. This also happens with counting on handbells.

Rhythm and counting are the bedrock; make this foundation firm by using Abel as a trainer. Let Abel ring all of the bells whilst you count each bell and emphsise the pair you wish to focus on. Start slowly and get it right (you want to avoid assimilating the wrong thing), and then speed up gradually.

Repeat this exercise every time you step up to a new method.

The following notes are from the person that taught the website editor to ring:

Casting my mind back to when I was practising on thumbs for my first peal of surprise in hand, pre-motion-controllers (the pre-decessor of e-bells), I remember counting places explicitly as per Bill Jackson’s approach
“ one two three four five six seven eight nine ten”.
Whilst I can count consciously on the lower numbers, on ten or twelve I have to let the sub-conscious do the work on higher numbers at handbell speeds.