Bristol Surprise Major

About Bristol Surprise Major

Bristol Surprise Major is a classic Standard Surprise Major method, being one of Pitman's 4: London, Bristol, Cambridge and Superlative.

Go to Download Double Lines for Bristol Surprise Major for a .pdf format "crib sheet" for Bristol S Major.

Bristol Surprise Major, description.

Method Structure.

Place Notation:
-58-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-18, 18, Bob 14

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, Plain Lead, change-rows and grid.

The elegant forward and backward hunting structure shown in detail in the standard grid presentation for Bristol can be further summarised as:

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, grid summary.

Goals and learning approach

What you are trying to achieve needs to drive your approach.

Ringing by structure

Get going:.
Use whatever learning approach you like most to acquire enough knowledge to ring a plain course. Ring a few and see what aspects of the method spring out, and study these. Practice until courses and simple touches are ringable.

Performance Level

If you are wishing to achieve Quarters, or peals:
start with the "get going" as above, add in the bits that are natural to you.
Study the Double Place Bell sequences, and the lines.
Practice a lot.
Achieve some performances .

Method Mastery Level

Bristol Surprise Major is a method worthy of the work to achieve mastery.

Learning Bristol Surprise Major.

The Rules

Bristol Surprise Major has an elegant structure but is best approached pair by pair, section by section, memorising the details. The expression of a verbal rule cannot be converted to the physical ringing of the method by any normal mortal.

However, a valuable summary of the method is expressed in the grid summary above. A combination of the grid summary, experience of ringing copious amounts of Treble Bob Major, plus a concerted study of the double lines should be enough to gain an entry level skill for Bristol Surprise Major.

The Structure

Use of the grid is helped enormously by an ability to see the position of treble.

Double Blue Lines

The Double Blue Lines give a useful overview of the method, adding context which is helpful for overcoming trips.

The Double Place Bell sequences are identical with Kent and Oxford Treble Bob Major.

Bristol Surprise Major, 1-2

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 1-2.

Bristol Surprise Major, 3-4

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 3-4.

Bristol Surprise Major, 5-6

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 5-6.

Bristol Surprise Major, 7-8

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 7-8.

Touches of Bristol Surprise Major.

Touches of Kent or Oxford Treble Bob Major can be rung to Bristol S. Major

The shortest, simple touch is to call 3 bobs home. Whilst 2, 3, and 4 rotate around those place bells, 5-6, and 7-8 have repeating work for each of the 3 leads. This is useful practice for starting to see the grid structure.

Bristol Surprise Major, 3 Bobs Home

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 3 Homes, 1-2.

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 3 Homes, 3-4.

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 3 Homes, 5-6.

Diagram: Bristol Surprise Major, 3 Homes, 7-8.