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Under Construction
You are practicing on methods selected from:
| Select method/principle(s) to work from | |
|---|---|
| ( bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? |
Give-up block for coursing order field
|
|||
| Course and after bells? |
Give-up block for course and after fields
|
|||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 |
Give-up block for follow sequence field
|
||
| tca. |
Give-up block for follow sequence field
|
|||
| You are the | ||||
Why?
How?
Methods vs. Principles
Coursing Order
Course and After Bells
The Follow Sequence
The list of methods/principles from which contexts are drawn
Example
Why?
My local tower recently had a visitor from Yorkshire who had been ringing only a couple of years. He impressed several of us by effortlessly (and correctly) reeling off the coursing order for Plain Hunt on various numbers of bells, the course and after bells of particular bells, and the sequence in which particular bells followed the other bells. While many would say it is not wisest to rely on memorizing the sequence in which you follow bells, it is certainly handy to have these facts immediately available in your mind if needed.
This page helps you practice and hone your knowledge of coursing orders, course and after bells, and the sequence of bells you follow.
How?
It poses you questions about methods/principles that are randomly drawn from the list you've chosen Learn more with you on a randomly chosen bell. The method/principle, number of bells, and your bell are prominently shown. This time it randomly began with with you on the .
You can work on
- coursing orders Learn more
- course and after bells Learn more
- the sequence of bells you follow Learn more
either one at a time or all at once.
Type in your answers and press the Return, Enter, or Tab key; the checking software distinguishes correct, incorrect, and incomplete answers.
If your answer is correct, the button will pop up. Clicking it moves you on to the next randomly-drawn method/principle and bell.
If you find yourself stumped, you can click an button to see the correct answer.
Methods vs. Principles
A method is a pattern in which the treble (and possibly another bell) follows one pattern, often just hunting out to the back and then in again, while the remaining bells (termed the working bells) follow another pattern. Plain Bob is an example of a method. Grandsire is an example of a method in which two bells hunt, with the remaining bells working.
A principle is a pattern in which all bells ring the same pattern. In a principle all bells are working. Plain Hunt is an example of a principle; Stedman is another.
Coursing Order
The coursing order
is the sequence in which the working bells go through the pattern.
The coursing order is the sequence in which the various bells
do things
;
which things
are in this sequence varies from method to method.
In Plain Bob,
for example,
the coursing order is the sequence in which the working bells
- come to the front,
- come to the back,
- pass each other on the way in,
- pass each other on the way out, and
- perform the work.
Plain Hunt does not have a coursing order, strictly speaking, since each bell does the same work over and over. However, all but the last thing listed for Plain Bob happens for Plain Hunt in a single sequence, so we often speak of this sequence as Plain Hunt's coursing order.
Course and After Bells
Your course bell is the one preceding you in the coursing order, and your after bell is the one following you in the coursing order. Many ringers find it convenient to think in terms of their course and after bells, because though if you move to a different bell your course and after bells are different, the things that you do with your course and after bells remain the same. Typically:
- You take your course bell off leads (i.e. when you are in 2nds about to ring in leads, your course bell is ringing in leads under you).
-
You take your course bell off the back
(i.e.
when you are in N-1ths about to ring at the back,
in Nths,
your course bell is ringing at the back over you).
As you can see from this, if you find yourself ringing over (following) your course bell, something important is about to happen. Therefore it's good to know which bell that is.
-
Your after bell takes you off leads
(i.e.
your first blow in 2nds after you finish leading
is over your after bell).
Thus, if you've just struck your two blows in leads, the next place you look is at your after bell.
-
Your after bell takes you off the back
(i.e.
your last blow
in Nths
at the back is over your after bell
in (N-1)ths).
Thus, if you've rung over your course bell at the back, the next place you look is at your after bell. Ringing over your after bell at the back is your cue to move up the tail, pull more gently, and hunt in.
And so forth. This list varies from one method/principle to another but is representative of the kinds of uses you will find for knowing your course and after bells.
The Follow Sequence
This is the sequence in which you follow each of the other bells over the course of a lead, with an L interposed for each stroke in leads. For example, for Plain Bob Doubles (5 bells), if you are the 5, your follow sequence will be 3124LL3123 :
- you will be in 5ths over the 3 (your after bell),
- 4ths over the treble,
- 3rds over the 2,
- 2nds over the 4 (your course bell),
- in leads twice (LL),
- 2nds over the 3 (your after bell),
- 3rds over the treble,
- 4ths over the 2, starting your Dodge 3‑4 Up, and
- 3rds over the 3 (your after bell), concluding your Dodge 3‑4 Up.
One way to come up with the sequence for any bell B is:
-
If B is the treble (1):
-
Go through the coursing order twice, skipping 1,
then you're in leads so LL.
(Example: B is 1 for Plain Hunt on Four with coursing order 2431. Go through it twice skipping the 1: 243 243. Then LL. That's the follow sequence 243243LL.)
-
Go through the coursing order twice, skipping 1,
then you're in leads so LL.
-
If B is not the treble:
-
Find B−1 in the coursing order.
(Example: B is 4 for Plain Hunt on Four with coursing order 2431. B−1 is 3 so 2431.)
-
Step through the coursing order starting one place after B−1.
Whenever you come to B,
that means you are either leading (skip B and insert "LL")
or at the back (just skip B).
Stop after you arrive back at B−1 the second time.
(In the example, B−1 is 3 and the place in 2431 after it is 1, so: 1, 2, next is 4 and you're in leads so skip it and say L L, then 3, 1, 2, next is 4 and this time you're at the back so just skip it, and 3. That's the follow sequence: 12LL3123.)
-
Find B−1 in the coursing order.
| Follow-tca characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| t | for | treble |
| c | course | |
| a | after | |
| . | any other bell | |
| L | Leads | |
An abstract view of the follow sequence
can be even more broadly useful,
as it is valid for any bell doing that work,
and remains valid after calls,
when different bells are in some or all places
and your course and after bells may have changed.
I used it to help learn when to look to the treble
for Plain Bob.
A follow-tca
sequence is made up
of the characters listed in the table at right.
| Plain Bob Doubles, the 5's work | |
|---|---|
| Follow sequence | 3124LL3123 |
| Follow-tca sequence | at.cLLat.a |
Let's reexamine the example above: Plain Bob Doubles, you are the 5, your course bell is the 4, and your after bell is the 3. Your follow sequence and abstract follow-tca sequence are as listed in the table at right. This abstract sequence is the same for any bell that starts in 5ths place, i.e. that is doing the 5's work.
The list of methods/principles from which contexts are drawn
To add or replace the methods/principles in the list, click on the button for a method/principle on a particular number of bells, like , or on the button for an entire method/principle like . If the Add to list checkbox is checked, that method/principle will be added to the list; if it is unchecked, that method/principle will replace those in the list.
The most commonly needed methods/principles are listed first. A much larger list is below them, among which you can scroll to (one hopes) find the one you want.
Example
| Plain Hunt Triples (7 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 7 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 7 | ||||
The program poses the method Plain Hunt Triples (7 bells).
I decide to accept the Coursing order?
challenge.
| Plain Hunt Triples (7 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 7 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 7 | ||||
I think "course evens up, odds down" and type in 2467531.
| Plain Hunt Triples (7 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 7 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 7 | ||||
I press the Enter key. The program judges my response to be correct. Woo-hoo!
| Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
I click the button for another challenge. The program poses the method Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells). In a moment of overconfidence I type in 243.
| Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
I press the Enter key. The program judges my response to be incorrect and admonishes me with color.
| Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? |
2431
|
|||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
How can this be? I click the button on that line and see how it could be — the coursing order for Plain Hunt Minimus is 2431.
| Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
Okay, okay.
I type in 2431
and the give up
answer
and admonishing color go away.
I decide to redeem myself by accepting the
Course and after bells?
challenge.
I see that I am the 1.
With coursing order 2431,
that makes the 3 my course bell
and the 2 my after bell.
| Plain Hunt Minimus (4 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
I press the Enter key and am rewarded by color for my correct answers.
| Plain Hunt Minor (6 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
I click the
button
for another challenge.
The program poses the method Plain Hunt Minor (6 bells).
I accept the
Who do you follow?
challenge
and see that I am to be the 1 again.
I think
My course bell is 3 and my after is 2,
so 2465 hunting out,
3 at the back and 2 at the back,
then 4653 hunting in
and lead twice.
I type in 2465324653LL.
| Plain Hunt Minor (6 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
I press the Enter key and am rewarded by color for my correct answer, which might be really useful at practice next week.
I decide to accept the tca.
version of the
Who do you follow?
challenge.
Instead of entering bell numbers,
I will be entering bell roles:
c | for course, |
a | for after, |
t | for treble, and |
. | for all other bells. |
I'll still type in L for leads. This form of the challenge will be more useful in the long run, when I am working with methods like Plain Bob.
I think for a moment, type a...ca...cLL, and press the Enter key.
| Plain Hunt Minor (6 bells) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursing order? | ||||
| Course and after bells? | 1 | |||
| Whom do you follow? | 1234 | |||
| tca. | ||||
| You are the 1 | ||||
Yes! I'm on a roll. I continue accepting challenges and honing my knowledge of Plain Hunt coursing.
- thomas · alspaugh @ acm · org
-
-
Attribution