The Methods rung by the Adelaide Bellringers

Methods Rung by the Adelaide Bellringers


 
The Basics

Once you learn how to handle a bell, these are the first things you learn to ring with a band of ringers.

  • Rounds
  • Call-Changes 
  • Places 
  • Dodging 
  • Mexican Wave   
  • Dodgey Mexican Wave   
 
Learn to Hunt

The following methods lead up to the next skill - hunting. Starting with hunt-on-2, which is an extension of Places and Mexican Wave, these lead up to hunt-on-5

  • Bistow Little Bob Doubles   
    ring the treble which does hunt on 2
  • Cloister Doubles (Stedman start) 
    ringing the 2 or 3 which do hunt on 3
  • Plain Hunt on 5
    ring any of the bells to do hunt on 5
  • Treble to Plain Bob Doubles or Grandsire Doubles
    ring the treble, which does hunt on 5, whilst the rest of the bells change order
 
Doubles Methods

Having mastered hunting on 5 we move on to ringing some methods on 5 bells, called Doubles Methods.

  • Bistow Little Bob Doubles   
    ring a working bell to get used to the work and dodging in 3/4
  • Plain Bob Doubles   
    the same work is Bistow, but spread out. One of the most commonly rung methods which extends up to Maximus
  • Cloister Doubles   
    ring the 1,4 or 5 to get used to dodging in 4/5
  • Grandsire Doubles   
    another very commonly rung method on odd numbers of bells which extends up to Cinques
  • Stedman Doubles   
    more complex than the previous rung methods, with some wrong hunting and points, but also includes bits from Cloister. Another commonly rung method on odd numbers of bells that extends up to Cinques.
More Doubles Methods

These are methods that we sometimes ring, and whilst its good to have rung them and be a little familiar with them, they are not part of our standard repertoire.

  • Reverse Canterbury Pleasure Place Doubles   
    similar to Plain Bob Doubles, but with places instead of dodges
  • St.Simons Bob Doubles   
    lots more dodges
  • St.Martins Bob Doubles   
    like St.Simons, but with some dodges replaced by places
  • St.Nicholas Bob Doubles   
    like St.Simons, but with other dodges replaced by places
  • Winchendon Place Doubles   
    like St.Simons, but with all dodges replaced by places
  • Antelope Place Doubles 
    similar to Grandsire Doubles, but with places instead of dodges
  • Erin Doubles 
    this method is just the slow sixes from Stedman, and as such is another 'principle' so every bell does the same thing. Another commonly rung method on odd numbers of bells that extends up to Cinques.
 
Hunting on 7

Hunting on 7 is just an extension of hunting on 5

  • Plain Hunt on 7
    just 2 more bells added to Plain Hunt on 5, but still lead off the tenor
  • Treble to Grandsire Triples
    plain hunt on 7 for the treble, and the 2 in the plain course
 
Triples Methods

Triples methods where there are 7 working bells (since at most 3 pairs of bells can swap at a time). These are all extensions of the Doubles methods we have already learnt.

  • Plain Bob Triples 
    the extension of Plain Bob Doubles, add dodges in 5/6 and 4 blows in 7ths. The bobs and singles are the same.
  • Grandsire Triples   
    the extension of Grandsire Doubles, add 6/7 dodges. The bobs and singles are the same.
  • Stedman Triples 
    the extension of Stedman Doubles, add 6/7 dodges, but note that the bobs and singles are different.
More Triples Methods

Some extra triples methods that we have been known to ring, but are not part of our repertoire

  • St.Simons Bob Triples 
    just like the Doubles version, lots of dodging on the front with almost plain bob at the back
  • Single Oxford Bob Triples 
    sort of Grandsire Doubles padded with occassional triple dodges in 6/7
  • Middlesex Bob Triples 
    sort of Plain Bob Doubles padded with occassional triple dodges in 6/7
 
Hunting on 6

Hunting on 6 -fewer bells than hunting on 7, but you no longer have the tenor to lead off. Its all down to rhythm.

  • Plain Hunt on 6
    just like other plain hunts, but remember to include the tenor in the hunting
  • Treble to Little Bob Minor
    still no tenor to lead off, but you only have to hunt to 4ths
  • Treble to Plain Bob Minor
    hunting on 6, still no tenor, and the bells keep changing order
 
Plain Minor Methods

now that you can hunt without a tenor covering, we extend add some methods

  • Plain Bob Minor   
    the even bell extension of Plain Bob Doubles, add dodges in 5/6 but skip the 4 blows behind
  • Little Bob Minor   
    a handy and fun little method, with similar work to Plain Bob, but twice as often
More Minor Methods

Some extra minor methods that we have been known to ring, but are not part of our repertoire

  • St.Clements College Bob Minor 
    the 6 bell extension to St.Simons Bob Doubles
  • Double Oxford Bob Minor   
    your first 'double' method. It's the same upside down as it is the right way up.
 
Treble Bob Hunting on 6

combine your skills at hunting on 6 with dodging and you have treble bob hunting. Just remember to dodge EVERYWHERE

  • Treble Bob Hunt on 6
    a great way of practicing your dodging
  • Treble to Cambridge Surprise Minor
    Ring the treble whilst the rest of the band rings Cambridge, but remember that all of the work in 5/6 is with the same bell, but changes every lead.
 
Treble Bob Hunting Minor Methods

Now that you can treble bob hunt on 6, lets ring some methods

  • Kent Treble Bob Minor   
    this has a lot of treble bob in it, with some similarity to Little Bob too
  • Cambridge Surprise Minor   
    your first surprise method, daunting at first glance, just learn each place bell, one at a time
  • London Surprise Minor 
    you haven't had to hunt wrong since Stedman, but London is full of it
More Treble Bob Minor Methods

Some extra treble bob minor methods that we have been known to ring, but are not part of our repertoire

  • Oxford Treble Bob Minor   
    similar to Kent but the places are like a Plain Bob single rather then Reverse Canterbury places
  • Primrose Surprise Minor   
    just like Cambridge but with 16 at the lead end instead of 12. The only difference is the last blow of each lead.
  • Smeaton Surprise Minor 
    composed in memory of Fred Smeaton, this method is double (same upside down as right way up) and has a lot of Cambridge work in it
  • Beverley Surprise Minor 
    a commonly rung surprise minor method
  • Surfleet Surprise Minor 
    a commonly rung surprise minor method
  • Norwich Surprise Minor 
    a commonly rung surprise minor method
 
Hunting on 8

you already know how to ring on 8 bells from huntin on 7, and you can lead without a tenor from hunting on 6. Put them together as hunting on 8

  • Plain Hunt on 8
    the logical extension to hunting on 5,6 and 7
  • Treble to Little Bob Major
    still only hunt up to 4ths but get used to the 8 bell rhythm
  • Treble to Plain Bob Major
    just plain hunt, but everyone else changes order
  • Treble to Cambridge Surprise Major
    extend your skills at treble bob hunting on 6 to 8 bells. just remember do dodge in 7/8.
 
Plain Major Methods

having mastered hunting on 8, lets ring some methods

  • Plain Bob Major 
    the extension of Plain Bob to 8 bells
  • Little Bob Major   
    the extension of Little Bob to 8 bells
Extra Methods

Some extra major methods that we have been known to ring, but are not part of our repertoire.

  • Double Norwich Court Bob Major   
    a double method and also 8ths place which can be rung with 4th or 6th place bobs. Don't learn the rhyme
  • Kent Treble Bob Major 
    Like practising treble-bob hunting, but with a little bit more interest
 
Surprise Major Methods

For Surprise Major we like Project Pickled Egg, so have based our proposed repertoire on those methods

  • Cambridge Surprise Major   
    your first surprise major method. It's a logical extension of Cambridge Surprise Minor
  • Yorkshire Surprise Major 
    very similar to Cambridge with some variations. You just have to remember the differences.
  • London Surprise Major 
    like London Surprise Minor, there is lots of wrong hunting, and lots of bits of London Minor work, but this one is not a logical extension.
  • Adelaide Surprise Major 
    well, we ARE the Adelaide Bellringers, and this method has new features and a new lead-end order
  • Bristol Surprise Major 
    another method with wrong hunting, also double, and the first surprise major which is an 8th place method rather than 2nds place
  • Superlative Surprise Major 
    once more this has similarities to Cambridge, but is a double method. Remember to count to 5
  • Cornwall Surprise Major 
    often suggested as the first of the PPE methods to learn, this method also has some new work and a new lead-end order
  • Lessness Surprise Major 
    a popular method with some similaritires to both Yorkshire and Adelaide
 
Caters Methods

You should be getting pretty good at this by now. Caters has 9 working bells (since at most 4 pairs of bells can swap at a time)

  • Grandsire Caters 
    the extension to Grandsire Triples but with 8/9 dodges. The bobs and singles are the same as doubles and triples.
  • Stedman Caters
    the extension of Stedman Triples but with 8/9 dodges. The bobs and singles are the same as Stedman Triples
 
Royal Methods

Nothing to do with the Queen, just methods on 10 bells

  • Plain Bob Royal 
    the 10 bell extension of Plain Bob with added 9/10 dodges
  • Little Bob Royal   
    the 10 bell extension of Little Bob with added 9/10 dodges
  • Cambridge Surprise Royal 
    the logical 10 bell extension of Cambridge Surprise
  • Yorkshire Surprise Royal 
    the logical 10 bell extension of Yorkshire Surprise
  • London No3 Surprise Royal   
    similarities to London Major and minor, and whilst not a logical extension probably the most commonly rung extension
  • Bristol Surprise Royal 
    the logical 10 bell extension of Bristol Surprise
 
Cinques Methods

Methods on 11 bells (since at most 5 pairs can swap at a time)

  • Grandsire Cinques 
    triples and caters.
  • Stedman Cinques
    the extension of Stedman Caters but with 10/11 dodges. The bobs and singles are the same as Stedman triples and caters
 
Maximus Methods

No roman gladiators involved, but there are 12 bells involved in the methods. Lots of bells and rung very closely together.

  • Plain Bob Maximus 
    the 12 bell extension of Plain Bob with added 11/12 dodges
  • Little Bob Maximus   
    the 12 bell extension of Little Bob with added 11/12 dodges
  • Cambridge Surprise Maximus 
    the logical 12 bell extension of Cambridge Surprise
  • Yorkshire Surprise Maximus 
    the logical 12 bell extension of Yorkshire Surprise
  • Newgate Surprise Maximus 
    the logical 12 bell extension of London No3 Surprise Royal
  • Bristol Surprise Maximus 
    the logical 12 bell extension of Bristol Surprise