3. Ringing your first method

3.4. Your first quarter peal

Think of a quarter peal as a long touch. If you can ring for such an extended period, it shows that you've really "got" the method.

Practising
  • Add the composition to a ringing simulator package and keep practising. If you go wrong, start again at the previous lead end.
  • Share and discuss the composition to aid your (and the band's) understanding.
  • Practise with increasing length of touches e.g. 120, 360, 540, 720.
Top tips

If you're learning to ring handbells and have not yet rung a quarter peal on tower bells then here's some tips:

  • Make sure you rest your arms on your legs at the end of each backstroke.
  • Concentrate on an object – this could be a picture above the computer – and if you find your concentration going just focus back on that object.
  • If you go wrong, or someone else goes wrong, just keep going!
  • If you find you have swapped your bells, just swap them back – we all do this!
  • A quarter peal will take at least 30 minutes, probably longer – up to 45/50 minutes depending on the pace of the ringing.
  • Make sure there will be no distractions – dogs and cats are notorious and silence mobile and land lines.
  • At some point the bells will or may come back into rounds and unless the conductor says 'that's all' continue to ring the method again. If in doubt, carry on ringing the method.
  • Try not to watch the clock as it may be distracting and misleading on how much progress you have made.

Here's some thoughts on keeping right written by a ringer like you.

Ringing World

Well done! Don't forget to submit your quarter peal to BellBoard and send it up to the Ringing World for publication.