Gainsborough Little Bob Major on Handbells

Introduction

Gainsborough Little Bob Major is a closely related subset of Plain Bob Major. In Gainsborough Little Bob the treble hunts up to 6ths place, makes 6ths hand and back, and then hunts back down to lead. The 6ths place causes dodging in 7-8, and superficially the method is otherwise Plain Bob.

A lead of the method contains just 12 change rows and the Plain Course is 84 changes.

With the course of Gainsborough Little Bob containing 84 of the rows in Plain Bob, and with a seconds place Lead End, the method should be a simple step up from Plain Bob and Little Bob. In fact, the perturbation caused by the half lead 6ths is deceptive giving rise to extra changes of hunting pattern, some extra (half-lead) dodges, and a change to the lead-end order.

If a band is going to ring a serious length of Gainsborough Little Bob Major, some study time will give benefits of familiarity.

However, a valid approach is to NOT study the method, but to rely on seeing the treble making 6ths and reacting accordingly. The benefit of this approach is that it enables the discipline of watching for the position of the treble at all times.

The Structure

Diagram: Gainsborough Little Bob Major, plain lead rows and grid.

Approach to Gainsborough Little Bob Major on Handbells

The approach to Gainsborough Little Bob depends on your motive for ringing the method.

For Treble watching skill / or pure enjoyment:
Assuming the band is comfortable with Plain Bob and Little Bob, then skip the detailed learning, dive in, make mistakes, laugh and learn from the mistakes.

For Concentration skills / method ringing achievement:
Gainsborough Little Bob is bit harder than Little Bob Major which should be tackled first. Once a recorded length of GainsboroughLittle Bob is a realistic ringing target, there is no substitute for a thorough knowledge of the method.
There are extra, longer term benefits as the method introduces mixed hunting and dodging at the half lead, and this feature is found extensively in Suprise Methods.

Gainsborough Little Bob Major learning points

• The dodging work at the Lead End is identical with Plain Bob Major
• The lead ends come in a different order
• It's easy to get caught out by the Half Lead.

Description of the pairs

Ringing 1-2 to Gainsborough Little Bob Major

The ringer of 1-2 needs to be very reliable when ringing quarters or peals, as the dodging work of all the pairs is defined by the half-lead 4ths and the full-lead lead of the treble, and many, very competent ringers very heavily rely on the treble being in the right place.

Diagram: Gainsborough Little Bob Major, 1-2.

The "inside" pairs

Ringing 3-4 to Gainsborough Little Bob Major

Diagram: Gainsborough Little Bob Major, 3-4.

Ringing 5-6 to Gainsborough Little Bob Major

Diagram: Gainsborough Little Bob Major, 5-6.

Ringing 7-8 to Gainsborough Little Bob Major

Diagram: Gainsborough Little Bob Major, 7-8.

Touches of Gainsborough Little Bob Major

For touches of Gainsborough Little Bob Major see Complib