Method Toolboxes for teachers
12. Stedman Doubles Toolbox
Stedman is a principle that is rung in many towers, and at some stage a ringer will want to ring it so they can join in. It extends easily to higher numbers and offers opportunities for many musical compositions.
Stedman will probably be like no other method they have rung before. Partly this is due to it being a principle with no treble to look out for or even a lead end. The leading will also feel unfamiliar: sometimes they will lead at handstroke followed by backstroke (leading right) which is what they will be used to; sometimes they will lead at backstroke followed by handstroke (leading wrong) and sometimes for only one blow at either handstroke or backstroke (snap lead). All of this leads to some interesting leading challenges.
When learning the method it is very useful for a ringer to know which leads are right and which ones wrong.
Teaching the theory
How to set up a Stedman Doubles workshop including theory sessions.
For one-on-one teaching you can use the workshop presentation and provide the student with this cribsheet:
Stepping stone methods
The following stepping stone methods allow your student to practise parts of Stedman Doubles before putting them together to ring the complete method:
You might wish to practise wrong hunting with the student which will allow them to get the feel of leading wrong. The easiest way of doing this is to ring Plain Hunt with the bells starting by hunting the opposite way to normal:
- The treble makes one blow in lead at the handstroke before hunting to the back.
- All other odd bells hunt down to the front.
- The even bells hunt down up to the back.
Learning aids
Calling Stedman Doubles
As a teacher you might very well have to call touches of Stedman Doubles.
The only call used in Stedman Doubles is the single. The single affects the bell about to double dodge 4-5 down and the bell leaving the front, and has the effect of swapping the bells in 4-5. The bells doing the frontwork are unaffected.
Calls are made at handstroke and are made two blows before a six end. The download indicates all the calling positions.
Quick or Slow – which way do you go in?
The question of whether to go in to the frontwork quick or slow provides many opportunities for confusion in Stedman, especially after a call. Ringers have different preferred ways of remembering, from moving their feet in certain ways to watching for a particular bell in the coursing order.
You can help your ringer get this right, by providing them with some tips that might help:
- Unless there has been a call, they will be doing the opposite of what they did last – if they went in quick last time, it will be slow and vice versa.
- If the bell which they double-dodged with in 4-5 up (their course bell) passes them as they move from 4-5 down towards the lead they must be a slow bell (because it was a quick bell). The converse is true, if it is still on the front it was slow bell so they must be quick bell.
- When they are hunting down from the double dodge in 4-5 down, if the bells are leading right (handstroke and backstroke) its a quick six so the next one will be a slow six – they will go in slow – and vice versa.
- As a last resort – as they move from thirds place towards the lead they will follow each of the two remaining bells one after the other. That may mean holding in thirds if the two bells swap places, meaning they go in slow. If they didn't hold in thirds they go in quick.