Finding your places

A very basic technique

Ringing Technique - on Handbells
I encourage people to use spacing from lead and between the bells rather than places inside a change row. On 6 it doesn’t matter too much which way you think about it, so long you adopt a consistent single thought, and not a “split bells” approach.

On higher numbers the use of spacing is more helpful.

Ringing a pair in 2-3 pattern in PB Major for example 2 from lead and 3 between (2FL & 3B) is actually easier than 3rds and 7ths (because I count it as 1,2,A,1,2x ,3,B, where A and B are my bells, and 2x is a fixed bell relative to A&B). In 7-8 to Plain Bob Major and 9-0 to Plain Bob Royal, you get one lead per course in 2-3 pattern hunting, x is the treble.

I also use this counting technique (FL & B) for 5 apart (3-4 pattern) in Plain Hunting on 10, happily. 4-5 pattern hunting on 10 is trickier, 1 from lead and 6 between is hard to count, but can be seen more easily as 1 from lead 1 from lie; 2 FL & 4B, 3Fl & 2B, 4FLM&C, are easy to see.

Part of the progress in learning is to assimilate skills so that they can be used on “auto pilot”, i.e. with minimum effort. The classic example is that the three hunting patterns on 6 bells become an automatic part of ringing Plain Bob Minor. Autopilot mode only comes with extended practise which is why quarter peal ringing is so beneficial.

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