Advanced Call Change Toolbox

Having tried a number of call change sequences, you can move on to longer sequences which follow standard calling patterns. The whole band can learn the sequence, in a similar way to which the whole band must learn a method to ring it. Learn the pattern, not the calls. The aim is for calls to be made quickly (target – every handstroke) so that the sequence is completed in a reasonable period of time and making it easier for the conductor to remember the sequence.

Click on a sequence title to download a resource with each change and call written out and a more detailed account of the calling pattern.

The twenty all over

• Every bell is called into fifth place in turn.

Up the garden path

• Start and finish from an agreed musical row.
• Call each bell from the lead to the back, in turn – i.e. start with the 1, then the 3, 5, 4 and finally the 2.

The resource shows the pattern starting from rounds but you can try the same exercise starting from different musical rows e.g. Queens, Whittingtons or Tittums.

Forty-eight changes

• Think of bells 4 and 5 as whole hunt bells and bells 1, 2 and 3 as extreme bells.
• Alternately call the 5 and then the 4 to lead.
• Each time one of the whole hunt bells is leading swap either the first two or the second two extreme bells. If the 5 is leading swap the first two extreme bells. If the 4 is leading swap the second two.
• When the extreme bells are in the order abc then a and b are the first two, and b and c are the second two.

Sixty on thirds

• Call to Queens.
• Call the treble to 5ths place.
• Move the bell A (the bell that is leading) up one place.
• Call the treble to lead. Move bell A up one place.
• Call the treble to 5ths place. Move bell A up one place.
• Call the treble to lead. Bell A will now be in fifth place.
• Repeat the above sequence. Once bell A has reached fifth place, the bell that is leading becomes bell A.
• Once the sequence has been repeated 4 times in total, the bells will have come back into Queens.
• Call to Rounds.

These are the changes for the Devon competition peal, as specified by the Devon Association of Ringers.

Devon 8-bell competition piece

• Call to Queens.
• Call each bell 1 to 7 from the lead to 7ths place.
• Once the all the bells have been called from lead to 7ths place, the bells will have come back into Queens.
• Call to Rounds.

Video resource

This video footage shows Shaugh Prior bellringers ringing at South Brent on 10 June 2014. This was the teams last practise ring prior to the Devon Association of Ringers 2014 6-bell final held at Sampford Courtenay on Sat 14 June. The piece consists of: Rise, "Sixty-on-Thirds" and Lower.