Method & Stage Progressions

Ringing a variety of methods spices up the enjoyment of ringing and at the same time may require further skills. This page matches, as best possible, methods to the skills discussed in the Concepts pages and in Conducting.

There is no substitute for just ringing a lot. Aim to ring 1,000 courses of Plain Bob Minor on your way to Mastering Plain Bob.

Tackling Treble Dodging Minor Methods

In the Regular Methods there are 8 different ways of working “above the Treble”, 6 of these have both 2nds Place Lead End variants, and 2 do not, leading to 14 variants in total. The various combinations of places that can be made whilst complying with the requirements for regular methods restrict the number of available methods to 147.

The skills needed to be able to ring the set of Plain Methods above to performance level should be adequate to ring all of the 147 Treble Dodging Methods at Entry level, however, most Towerbell ringers would expect to ring the ten standard methods, Oxford TB., Kent TB., London, Wells, Durham, York, Cambridge, Beverley, Surfleet, Norwich S. This represents 2 of 29 Treble Bob Methods, 8 of the 41 Surprise Methods, and none at all of the 77 Delight Methods.

There are then two directions of complexity:

• Variations of work above the treble, with fixed work below

• Groups with the same work above the treble, and with varied work below

Fixed Frontwork Progressions Progressions

Kent TB and Oxford TB

Kent and Oxford are structurally identical below the treble.

• Oxford Treble Bob Minor (Ibid)
• Kent Treble Bob Minor

5 variations on the work below the treble give access to 5 different works above he treble. These Method sets are:

Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor Group:

• Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor (Ibid)
• Sandal Treble Bob Minor
• Old Oxford Delight Minor
• Neasden Delight Minor
• Combermere Delight Minor

College Exercise Treble Bob Minor Group:

• College Exercise Treble Bob Minor (Ibid)
• London Scholars' Pleasure Treble Bob Minor
• College Bob IV Delight Minor
• St Albans Delight Minor
• Vale Royal Delight Minor

Ockley Treble Bob Minor Group:

• Ockley Treble Bob (Ibid)
• Capel Treble Bob
• Newdigate Delight
• Charlwood Delight
• Crowland Delight

Norbury Treble Bob Minor Group:

• Norbury Treble Bob Minor (Ibid)
• Kingston Treble Bob Minor
• Willesden Delight Minor
• Wragby Delight Minor
• St Werburgh Delight Minor

Conisborough Delight Minor Group:

• Conisborough Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Richborough Delight Minor
• Bamborough Surprise Minor
• Bacup Surprise Minor
• Kelso Surprise Minor

Learning to ring the 5 different works below the treble and the 5 different methods above gives entry into 25 separate methods. Both the works above the treble and below the treble are variably difficult; Kelso Surprise is a far cry from Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob, but the above is probably the easiest way of bridging the gap.

A further 12 Methods are available via 2 sets of work below the treble when combined with 6 works above, viz:

Chadkirk Treble Bob Minor Group:

• CHADKIRK Treble Bob Minor
• NELSON Treble Bob Minor
• Elston Delight Minor
• Clarence Delight Minor
• Fountains Delight Minor
• Melrose Delight Minor

FRANCIS GENIUS Delight Minor Group:

• FRANCIS GENIUS Delight Minor(Ibid)
• CAMBRIDGE Delight Minor
• IPSWICH Surprise Minor
• NORFOLK Surprise Minor
• Northumberland Surprise Minor
• Whitley Surprise Minor

In a similar manner the following 4 sets of work below the treble combine with the remaining 3 works above the treble

Trinity Sunday Treble Bob Minor Group:

• Trinity Sunday Treble Bob Minor(Ibid)
• Killamarsh Treble Bob Minor
• Pennine Treble Bob Minor

Quantock Treble Bob Minor Group:

• Quantock Treble Bob Minor(Ibid)
• Snowdon Treble Bob Minor
• Norton-le-Moors Treble Bob Minor

Caernarvon Delight Minor Group:

• Caernarvon Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Conway Delight Minor
• Bucknall Delight Minor

Warwick Delight Minor Group:

• Warwick Delight Minor
• Ludlow Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Castleton Delight Minor

In summary 11 different works below the treble lead to 49 methods with methods falling into all of the “above the treble” groups.

However, the following miscellaneous sets make economical use of time invested in learning and cover a further 52 methods making 101 of the 147 Methods:

Bedford Delight Minor Group:

• Bedford Delight Minor
• Merton Delight Minor
• Burnaby Delight Minor
• Tintern Delight Minor
• Sherborne Delight Minor
• Southwark Delight Minor

Morning Star TB Minor Group.

• Morning Star Treble Bob (Ibid)
• Kirkstall Delight
• London Victory Delight
• Tewkesbury Delight
• Evesham Delight

Berwyn TB. Minor Group.

• Berwyn Treble Bob (Ibid)
• Waterford Treble Bob
• Burslem Delight
• Waltham Delight
• Glastonbury Delight

Pontefract Delight Minor Group.

• Pontefract Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Wath Delight Minor
• WESTMINSTER Surprise Minor
• Lincoln Surprise Minor

Barham Delight Minor Group.

• Barham Delight Minor (Ibid)
• Oswald Delight Minor
• CAMBRIDGE Surprise Minor
• PRIMROSE Surprise Minor
• Carlisle Surprise Minor

Disley Delight Minor Group.

• DISLEY Delight Minor
• BOURNE Surprise Minor
• HULL Surprise Minor (Ibid)
• Sandiacre Surprise Minor
• Wooler Surprise Minor

Berkeley Delight Minor Group.

• Berkeley Delight Minor
• Kentish Delight Minor
• Surfleet Surprise Minor
• Hexham Surprise Minor
• Munden Surprise Minor (Ibid)

Pembroke Delight Minor Group.

• Pembroke Delight Minor
• Edinburgh Delight Minor
• Beverley Surprise Minor (Ibid)
• Berwick Surprise Minor
• Chester Surprise Minor

Lightfoot Surprise Minor Group.

• Lightfoot Surprise Minor
• Rossendale Surprise Minor
• York Surprise Minor
• Alnwick Surprise Minor (Ibid)
• Canterbury Surprise Minor
• London Surprise Minor

Oxford to London via Neasden

Oxford Treble Bob Minor has the same work above the treble as
Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor and Sandal Treble Bob Minor

These in turn have the same work below the treble as
Old Oxford Delight Minor, Neasden Delight Minor, and Combermere Delight Minor

Old Oxford Delight Minor and Neasden Delight Minor,
are members of the group having
NORWICH Surprise Minor
above the treble; they relate to
Lightfoot Surprise Minor and Rossendale Surprise Minor
also as members of the
NORWICH Surprise Minor group for work above the treble, but have London Surprise Minor below the treble.

Combermere Delight Minor
has the relatively simple Sandal Treble Bob Minor
work below the treble, but has London Surprise Minor
above, and hence is a route into ringing London Surprise Minor.

Lightfoot Surprise Minor
Rossendale Surprise Minor
Combermere Delight Minor
combined then include all of the elements necessary to ring the most elegant Surprise Minor Method: London Surprise Minor.

Oxford to London via Norwich

In a similar manner to
Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor and Sandal Treble Bob Minor,
College Exercise Treble Bob Minor and
London Scholars' Pleasure Treble Bob Minor equate to
College Bob IV Delight Minor and St Albans Delight Minor in the
NORWICH Surprise Minor Group,
and Vale Royal Delight Minor which has
London Surprise Minor above the treble.

College Bob IV Delight Minor
and St Albans Delight Minor
relate to Lightfoot Surprise Minor
and Rossendale Surprise Minor
and hence to London Surprise Minor below the treble.

Lightfoot Surprise Minor,
Rossendale Surprise Minor and
Vale Royal Delight Minor
combined then include all of the elements necessary to ring the most elegant Surprise Minor Method:
London Surprise Minor.

Oxford to Hull via Disley

Disley Delight Minor
with 2nds place Oxford Treble Bob Minor
above the treble equates to BOURNE Surprise Minor
HULL Surprise Minor
having CAMBRIDGE Surprise Minor above the treble. Disley Delight Minor
can be used as a first entry point to ring Sandiacre Surprise Minor
and Wooler Surprise Minor
Carlisle above Group.

Performances amongst the above methods would be a significant achievement, and is worth pursuing for the learning experience, but it leaves the significantly harder Minor methods untouched. These include the Cotswold Treble Bob Minor Treble Bob and 3rds Place Delight methods.

London Surprise Minor is a cardinal method having 6 methods in 4 different groups above the treble groups and also being closely related to Wells below and a similar 6 in 4 different groups again with London above.

Oxford Treble Bob Progressions

Oxford to London via Norwich

Within the Oxford Treble Bob group there are 10 ways of working below the treble that lead to viable regular methods. Using some of those “below the treble” structures gives a quick way in to ringing some of the methods in the Norwich above group.

Ringing pure Norwich Surprise over Oxford Treble Bob leads to an irregular method, Woodbine Delight. Whilst this may be structurally valuable, the handbell pairs are weird with 3-4 and 5-6 being identical in the plain course, and there being a hidden pair. This is a dead end.

Oxford Treble Bob Minor has the same work above the treble as
Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor and Sandal Treble Bob Minor

These in turn have the same work below the treble as
Old Oxford Delight Minor, Neasden Delight Minor, and Combermere Delight Minor

Old Oxford Delight Minor and Neasden Delight Minor,
are members of the group having
NORWICH Surprise Minor
above the treble; they relate to
Lightfoot Surprise Minor and Rossendale Surprise Minor
also as members of the
NORWICH Surprise Minor group for work above the treble, but have London Surprise Minor below the treble.

Combermere Delight Minor
has the relatively simple Sandal Treble Bob Minor
work below the treble, but has London Surprise Minor
above, and hence is a route into ringing London Surprise Minor.

Lightfoot Surprise Minor
Rossendale Surprise Minor
Combermere Delight Minor
combined then include all of the elements necessary to ring the most elegant Surprise Minor Method: London Surprise Minor.

Oxford to London via Norwich

In a similar manner to
Duke of Norfolk Treble Bob Minor and Sandal Treble Bob Minor,
College Exercise Treble Bob Minor and
London Scholars' Pleasure Treble Bob Minor equate to
College Bob IV Delight Minor and St Albans Delight Minor in the
NORWICH Surprise Minor Group,
and Vale Royal Delight Minor which has
London Surprise Minor above the treble.

College Bob IV Delight Minor
and St Albans Delight Minor
relate to Lightfoot Surprise Minor
and Rossendale Surprise Minor
and hence to London Surprise Minor below the treble.

Lightfoot Surprise Minor,
Rossendale Surprise Minor and
Vale Royal Delight Minor
combined then include all of the elements necessary to ring the most elegant Surprise Minor Method:
London Surprise Minor.

Oxford to Hull via Disley

Disley Delight Minor
with 2nds place Oxford Treble Bob Minor
above the treble equates to BOURNE Surprise Minor
HULL Surprise Minor
having CAMBRIDGE Surprise Minor above the treble. Disley Delight Minor
can be used as a first entry point to ring Sandiacre Surprise Minor
and Wooler Surprise Minor
Carlisle above Group.

Performances amongst the above methods would be a significant achievement, and is worth pursuing for the learning experience, but it leaves the significantly harder Minor methods untouched. These include the Cotswold Treble Bob Minor Treble Bob and 3rds Place Delight methods.

London Surprise Minor is a cardinal method having 6 methods in 4 different groups above the treble groups and also being closely related to Wells below and a similar 6 in 4 different groups again with London above.

Kent Treble Bob Progressions

Few of the Kent Treble Bob based methods relate to 4ths Place Delight, but many of the 3rds Place delight in the Kent Group do relate to Surprise methods having identical work below the treble.

Kent to Carlisle via CAMBRIDGE.

Pontefract Delight Minor and Wath Delight Minor relate to
WESTMINSTER Surprise Minor in the NORWICH Surprise Minor Group
and to Lincoln Surprise Minor
of the London Surprise Minor Group,
whilst Barham Delight Minor and Oswald Delight Minor
relate to CAMBRIDGE Surprise Minor and PRIMROSE Surprise Minor in the CAMBRIDGE Surprise Minor Group and Carlisle Surprise Minor in the Carlisle Surprise Minor

Berkeley to Beverley via Pembroke.

Berkeley Delight Minor and Kentish Delight Minor
relate to the popular Surfleet Surprise Minor
whilst Pembroke Delight Minor and Edinburgh Delight Minor
relate to Beverley Surprise Minor
.

Right Place Regular Treble Dodging Minor Methods.

"Regular" means having: Plain Bob Lead heads, no 5ths apart from the half lead, no more than 2 blows in any one place. Treble Bob, and Surprise, methods are shown below purely for interest.

Method names are linked either to the description of the method on this site, or to Complib

Regular Treble Dodging Minor.

All (Regular) Treble Dodging Methods in one table