Handbell Toolbox

8.1. Overview

Making the most of your practice sessions

• Practise Plain Hunt a lot and on every adjacent pair.
• Stop in the middle of leads to talk about what just happened and start again just before the tricky bit.
• Ring on higher numbers when you can. You can pick pairs so everyone rings the coursing position.
• Use stepping stone methods when needed – one step at a time is very important.
• Try odd-bell methods now and again (or even-bell methods if teaching odd-bell methods).
• Turn concentration up and down like a dial. 
• Keep up the pace.
• Don’t forget to have fun!

Place notation

Take time to dabble with place notation. It is much more relevant to early stage handbell ringing then tower bell ringing. Double Court Bob Minor is boxes around the treble hunting 2/3 and then 4/5 and the same coming back.

Quarter peals

When you're ready, aim to ring a quarter peal each time you meet but don't add pressure onto your group. If you encounter a problem then don’t go back to the start, pick it up from the lead end before the one in which you had a problem and resume from there. It's about the practice afforded by extended ringing rather than scoring the quarter peal.

Quarter peals – two teachers with one learner

• Tenors to Plain Bob Minor.
• Trebles to Plain Bob Minor.
• Calling a quarter peal of Plain Bob Minor from the tenors.
• Inside pair to Plain Bob Minor/Major.

Quarter peals – one teacher with two learners

• Aim for Minor but if it’s too far away:
  • Minimus – to build stamina.
  • Minimus with 5-6 continuously dodging (good for improving rhythm for the ringer of 5-6).
• 1440 Plain Bob Minor. Call the single at the end of the 360s.

Higher numbers

Don’t delay ringing on higher numbers, because:

• Patterns last longer.
• Reinforces patterns on lower numbers.
• More time to settle into a pattern before having to look for the treble.
• Tenors are unaffected by bobs.
• Improves rhythm on lower numbers.

New patterns – unless your ring odd pairs (1-2, 3-5, 4-6, 7-9, 8-10).

Grandsire Doubles

Why not ring Grandsire Doubles for a bit of light relief? It's easier that you think:

• Trebles course throughout.
• Tenors can be rung by the blue line (as the 6 is the cover bell).
• The 3-4 course for 2 out of the 3 leads.

Watch this video of the 3-4 prior to your practice (rung by the person in the black zipped top), and place your learners on 1-2 and 5-6. Enjoy the great sense of achievement when Grandsire comes round.

Warn everyone to take care when lying at the back – it is made at backstroke and handstroke which may feel a bit weird if you mainly ring even-bell methods.

Or you could try the curious variation called Yule Kegmeg (or Blind Dogs in Norfolk). Starting row 1,2,5,4,6,3,3,3 then 1,2,5,4,6,3. i.e. eight beats at handstroke and beats at back. Then ring Grandsire Doubles with this beat.