Best Practice - Guidelines
- Learn
- Use
- Check
- Speed Up
Learn
Learn the method / pair thoroughly, at least to the standard where you can recite the places and spacings faultlessly.
Use
Use the simulator in the first instance to check the learning of the method by ringing quite slowly.
Be brutally honest with yourself as to whether they have or have not memorised the method well enough, and to go back to learning if you make method errors.
Check
If the method has been learned, i.e. it can be rung without trips, then ring and review the striking report for any consistent striking mistakes.
Adjust one’s striking to address consistent mistakes.
(NB. Not looking for perfection, just the understanding of where improvements need to be made).
Speed Up
Gradually increase ringing speed until a realistic target speed & striking quality have been achieved.
It is satisfying when Abel gives better than 9 on both bells.
Speeding - Guidelines
Start your practice slowly, maybe over 3hrs peal speed for a six bell method.
If you have memorised the method correctly you should be able to ring a course slowly but with reasonable striking.
On Abel, over 8.0 is OK for a first try.
Try again, was it a fluke, or was it for real?
When it's for real, take 5 or 10 minutes of the speed and ring it again.
Ring it again, be very clear to yourself that the goal is striking above 9.0, preferably 9.7, both bells,
and eventually at a speed of between 2 hours dead and 2hrs 15 minutes (handbell peal peal speed).
This process of progressively increasing the speed is vitally important as you want the skill to become automatic,
you can't afford the brain power to be consciously ringing every stroke.
It's like walking, you want it to be automatic pretty much all of the time, except when you get to a tricky bit.
Suggested speeds for learning 6 bell methods:
- Initial check of learning: peal speed 3 hours or more.
- Striking review: 2 hours 50
- Target realistic ringing speed: between 2hrs 15 minutes and 2 hours.
Hints and Tips
Pace your learning.
When learning is taking place there will be regressions in the progress owing to tiredness.
Take a break.
Meditate or sleep, to allow the brain to adapt.
Avoid or minimise visuals.
Abel’s handbell flipping is a pretty poor visual anyway, the redeeming feature is the associated sound.
But definitely switch off the blue line display, or at least consciously avoid looking at it.
Ringing Touches
Abel does NOT teach you to ring touches, it enables you to practice what you have learned.
We all have an envelope surrounding the small number of things we can do, and outside of which is the seemingly infinite number of things we cannot yet do.
To change the amount in the envelope we need to study and memorise, and practice.
The sim is great for solo practice.
Whether you are trying to ring bobs and singles in Bob Minor for the first time, or having a shot at Spliced Surprise,
choose a composition that you can understand, and looks ringable.
When ringing "on the edge of the envelope", choose a "goldilocks" speed, neither too fast, nor too slow.
When the ringing is good, speed up a bit.
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