Group a

2nds Place Minor Methods
Lead End: 135264

The Method Group

Introduction

Plain Bob Minor is by far and away the most important method for a ringer, both on towerbells and on handbells, and time spent on this method will be well rewarded. As ever, the handbell ringer benefits from developing a range of ringing skills and memory techniques, and whilst the towerbell ringer has a range of bell control skills that a handbell ringer does not need, the handbell ringer's method skills far exceed ropesight and blue lines.

Plain Bob Minor falls into CCCBR Method Group a, and there are many more members of this group. Plain Bob is so important that we place emhasis on the related compositions while indicating how to apply those compositions to other methods in the group.

Compositions and calling

A learner should initially gain confidence on making calls by choosing a composition that can be called without using an observation bell. These compositions are written down and memorised as simple sequences of Bobs, Singles and Plain Leads. (NB. 5 Plain Leads = 1 Plain Course, but we don't normally call that a touch!).

Touches are often rung using the tenor bell as a reference point (a.k.a. an observation bell). It is perfectly ok to make calls that affect the tenor, but very often the tenor is unaffected. The calling positions are known by their impact on the tenor viz:

Tenor - Observation Bell Positions and Work

Overcoming mistakes is an important skill in bellringing, and one way that a handbell ringer can stay on track is to know what pair of Place Bells are being rung, and where those bells will be at the subsequent Lead End. For Group a methods, we have:

Place Bells

135264 LE 12: Plain Bob; Morning Star T.B.; Westminster S.

1-2: 1-2, 1-4, 1-6, 1-5, 1-3, 1-2
3-4: 3-4, 2-6, 4-5, 6-3, 5-2, 3-4
5-6: 6-5, 5-3, 3-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-5

Composition Layout

When writing down touches in shorthand it is conventional to use a dash to mean bob and S to mean single, and generally course end change rows are given. In the touches below we have added the related coursing order as well, and the specific purpose touches are spelled out in more detail.

For clarity we have elected to use "Bob" rather than the more conventional "-", and "Single" rather than "S".

We have followed the normal convention of "3" meaning 3 bobs all at the same calling position, and, for example, "BSB" expands to "Bob, Single, Bob" again all in the same position.

Our purpose on this website is to help people "get going on handbells", not to be a rigorous nor exhaustive exposition of the finer arts. So the descriptions and annotations of the touches are aimed at ringing Plain Bob Minor on 2 handbells, nothing more. To that end, the following list of touches has proved invaluable for the Hull Handbells Project.

Choosing a composition

A learner should initially gain confidence on making calls by choosing a composition that can be called without using an observation bell. These compositions are written down and memorised as simple sequences of Bobs, Singles and Plain Leads. (NB. 5 Plain Leads = 1 Plain Course, but we don't normally call that a touch!).

The complib links in the margin take you to the appropriate touch (e.g. 36 Plain Bob Minor) on Complib (in a new window). To apply a touch to a different method find the complib number of the method by hovering over a link. Westminster Surprise is complib method 14308.
add ?substitutedmethodid=14308 to the URL.
Example:

The first touch is 36 Plain Bob URL: :
https://complib.org/composition/49603

To apply this to Westminster Surprise use URL: :
https://complib.org/composition/49603?substitutedmethodid=14308

List of touches

For "xx Plain Bob Minor" read "xx Group a Plain Minor".

• Short touches - Calling pattern basis
• 1: 36 Plain Bob Minor BBB (3 bobs in a row, a.k.a. WFH)
• 2: 36 Plain Bob Minor SSB (SW SF H) plus 2 variations
• 3: 72 Plain Bob Minor BBS BBS (W F SH Repeated) plus 2 variations
• 4: 108 Plain Bob Minor BBP (W F) Repeat twice

• Short touches - Observation bell
• 5: 72 Plain Bob Minor Before & Home
• 6: 120 Plain Bob Minor Wrong Home Wrong Home
• 7: 120 Plain Bob Minor 2 Singles Home
• 8: 120 Plain Bob Minor 2 Singles Wrong

• Specific Purpose Touches
• 9: 300 Plain Bob Minor, bobs work for 1-2
• 10: 168 Plain Bob Minor, singles work for 1-2

• Longer Touches - Calling pattern basis
• 11: 216 Plain Bob Minor SBP BBP BBP Repeated

• Longer Touches - Mixed pattern and Observation bell basis
• 12: 192 Plain Bob Minor BBP BBP WHW
• 13: 384 Plain Bob Minor SBP BBP WHW Repeated
• 14: 276 Plain Bob Minor BBP WHW WHW
• 15: 552 Plain Bob Minor SBP WHW WHW Repeated

• Longer Touches - 240 to 720 - 3 part
• 16: 240 Plain Bob Minor BSBSW
• 17: 720 Plain Bob Minor BSBSW BH Repeat twice
• 18: 540 Plain Bob Minor BSBSW BH Shortened

• Longer Touches - 360 to 720 several variations
• 19: 360 Plain Bob Minor WHW Repeat twice
• 20: 720 Plain Bob Minor WHW x 5, plus 2 singles
• 21: 120 to 720 Plain Bob Minor WHW with multiple singles

• Longer Touches - 240 to 720 - 2 part
• 22: 240 Plain Bob Minor SBSBW
• 23: 360 Plain Bob Minor SBSBW HHH
• 24: 480 Plain Bob Minor SBSBW SH Repeat
• 25: 720 Plain Bob Minor SBSBW BSBH Repeat
• 26: 540 Plain Bob Minor SBSBW Shortened

• Warning

Short Touches of Plain Bob Minor

This is the shortest possible touch, three consecutive bobs, 5 makes the first, tenor makes the second, and 4 makes the last bob.

Variation: Call single instead of each of the first two bobs, see touch #2.

Notes for handbells:
1-2: Never leave coursing position.
3-4: Bobs only, 3 rings plain hunting throughout, 4 makes 4ths at the last call
3-4: Singles included, 3 makes seconds or thirds and runs in or out as necessary thereby making 3-4 more instructive
5-6: 5 makes 4ths at the first call (into 4-5 pattern hunting), 6 makes 4ths at the second call, 5-6 are then back coursing.
Composition 2 and 3 are further variations on composition 1.

Notes for handbells:
1-2: Never leave coursing position.

Notes: 1-2 never leave coursing position.

Notes: 5-6 make the 4ths at each of the bobs.
See also touch No 10.

Notes: In this simple touch bell No 4 makes both bobs, 5-6 run in and out at the first bob, and 2 and 3 run in and out at the second.

Notes A bob is called every time the tenor dodges in 5-6.

Notes Only the ringer of 3-4 is affected.

Notes Only bells numbered 2 and 5 are affected.

Specific Purpose Touches of Plain Bob Minor

This above touch is designed to ensure that No 2 runs in, runs out and makes the bob twice each.

The 168 above is designed to ensure that No 2 makes 2^nds, 3^rds and 4^ths at the call of a single.

Longer Touches of Plain Bob Minor

Touches 11 through to 15 build on and combine touches nos. 4 and 6 to give a variety of practice lengths and pair patterns, especially helpful for the aspiring conductor on 5-6.

Note: Bell no 5 makes 4ths at each bob, and 3rds at each single.

Hints and tips

This popular 720 has almost the minimum number of calls, and one bell unaffected by the calls at Wrong in each part, viz:
Part 1: 532 affected by calls, 4, unaffected by calls, dodges 5-6 down with Tenor
Part 2: 524 affected by calls, 3, unaffected by calls, dodges 5-6 down with Tenor
Part 3: 543 affected by calls, 2, unaffected by calls, dodges 5-6 down with Tenor

Some pitfalls for the ringer of 3-4 to avoid:
1^st part: After the first bob and single, 3-4 are coursing, 3 down before 4.
2^nd part: The halfway point is at the end of the course, coursing order 54236, and at the home, the change is 124356.
Bob Wrong Single Wrong completes the block and brings back coursing order 52436 until the part end.
3^rd part: In this last part, 3-4 are coursing throughout. In the first and last course of the last part, the order is 4 down before 3; in the 2^nd and 3^rd courses, the order is 3 down before 4.
So for the last 5 courses of the extent, 3-4 are coursing, 2 courses 4 down first, 2 courses 3 down first, and 1 last course, 4 down first.

And one pitfall for the conductor to avoid:
The first bob Wrong of a part comes immediately after the last bob Home of the previous part.

Are you short of mental capacity to transpose coursing orders whilst ringing and calling at handbell speeds? - You bet!
So, just learn the coursing orders, viz:
At Wrong: B 325, S 523, B 235, S 532 plain course, Home B 524 part end;
At Wrong: B 245, S 542 half way, B 425, S 524, Home B 543 part end;
At Wrong: B 435, S 534, B 345, S 543, Home B 532 720 end.

Call composition 17 above omitting any one block of 4 calls (BSBS) at Wrong.

In this touch a bob is called every time the tenor dodges in 5-6 except when it dodges with 5.

Variations

The traditional calling, above, has the single at the end of each part. The singles can be called in various places, but must be called in the same place in each part. The simple variations are:
Call a single instead of the bob wrong in either the 1^st, or the 3^rd, or the 5^th course.
Call a single at home in either the 2^nd, or the 4^th, or the 6^th course.

Touch 6 (as above) is the basis

Becomes touch 19 (360) by omission of the final Bob Home, and repetition

Becomes a 720 by inclusion of pairs of singles viz

Variations

The 720 contains 6 pairs of singles. Any pair of singles can be omitted, each omission progressively shortens the touch by 60 changes.

540 - maximum tenors coursing

Call composition 25 above omitting any one block of 4 calls (SBSB) at Wrong.

At first sight touches 17 and 23 are very similar each having a round block of 4 calls at wrong.

This is deceptive.

Touch 16 contains a repeated structure with 5-6 ringing two courses coursing, and 2 courses parted.
Touch 22 has 5-6 coursing for 1 course and parted for 3.
The extensions to 720 are then fundamentally different with touch 16 becoming a 3 part calling at touch 17, and touch 22 requiring 2 extra courses including a single to produce a 2 part 720.

The temptation to confuse the two approaches and call either BSBS Wrong BSB Home or SBSBW BH should be avoided as both of the touches are false.