What is Bellringing

About Ringing

About BellringingOn this page find out about:
    This is

    What is happening?

    This is what happens when someone is ringing a bell "full circle". The clapper hits the side of the bell (known as the sound bow) after the bell has rotated about 300 degrees from the vertical - when either the sallie (the fluffy coloured bit on the rope), or the tail end of the rope, passes the ringer's face.

    It usually takes from 1 to 2 seconds for a bell to rotate 360 degrees, depending on the size of the bell.


    What is happening?

    This is what happens when two change ringing bells "dodge". One bell rings before another, then the next time they strike the first bell strikes after the second. What you would hear is "ding" "dong" then about 2 seconds later you'd hear "dong" "ding". Then another 2 seconds later you'd hear "ding" "dong".

    This graphic shows two bells dodging continually - which is uncommon in normal change ringing. Usually two bells might dodge with each other once or twice, and then find another bell to swap or dodge with. More protracted dodging can occur, but it is unusual.


    What is happening?

    This is what happens when six bells are ringing "rounds", which is the initial descending scale that ringing starts in. Each bell rings, one after the other at hand-stroke (with the fluffy "sally"), and then immediately after the last bell has rung at hand-stroke, each bell rings at back-stroke (at the end of the rope).

    This makes for a continuous sequence of "dings" in a repeated descending scale.


    Acknowledgement

    The content of this page comes from the ANZAB website and is based on the ANZB leaflet Bellringing in Australia and New Zealand prepared by Doug Nichols.