--- title: Change Ringing for an American Handbell Director description: Change Ringing for an American Handbell Director --- [![AF-prelude-logo](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/AF_Prelude_Blog/AF-prelude-logo.png?width=181&height=52&name=AF-prelude-logo.png "AF-prelude-logo")](http://www.preludemusicplanner.org/) - [LEARN MORE](https://preludemusicplanner.org/) - [BLOG](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) - [SIGN IN](https://members.preludemusicplanner.org/) # [Prelude Music Blog](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org) # Change Ringing for an American Handbell Director by [Luke Tegtmeier](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/luke-tegtmeier)   **Part II: Practical teaching** - Change-ringing on handbells is generally done one Plain Course at a time. e.g. “Let’s do Plain Hunt”. - Always starts with the treble bell. - Traditional starting words spoken by treble ringer: “Look to” (Ready) “Treble’s going” (Set) “She’s away” (Go!) - General practice is to go around the circle twice in a simple descending course before starting a method. - Unless the Treble ringer says “That’s all,” it is usual to assume that the method keeps going. - When ringing a method, a ringer’s two bells will stay in the same order for each line - until they cross. For example, Bell 1 will always be rung before Bell 2 (see chart below). This is a helpful way to keep track which bell rings first in a given line, so many ringer keep the first bell forward on their knee or keep a foot forward. Just remember to switch when the bells cross! - Suggested method for teaching: - Once everyone is comfortable with Plain Hunt, add a slight pause before the Handstroke to be really authentic. - Read *The Nine Tailors* by Dorothy Sayers - change ringing figures into a murder! When getting ringers to change ring without staring at a chart (which is of course the idea), it may be helpful to consider the Position number of each bell. Some change ringers do this to keep track of where they are. This chart follows the Position number of Bells 1 and 2 through Plain Hunt. Bells: Position of Bells 1 and 2 1 2 3 4 5 6: 1-2 *Bells cross immediately after being rung* 2 1 4 3 6 5: 1-2 2 4 1 6 3 5: 1-3 4 2 6 1 5 3: 2-4 4 6 2 5 1 3: 3-5 6 4 5 2 3 1: 4-6 6 5 4 3 2 1: 5-6 *Bell cross again* 5 6 3 4 1 2: 5-6 5 3 6 1 4 2: 4-6 3 5 1 6 2 4: 3-5 3 1 5 2 6 4: 2-4 1 3 2 5 4 6: 1-3 1 2 3 4 5 6: 1-2 Interestingly, Bells 5 and 6 have the exact opposite Position pattern. Bells 3 and 4 have a different, but equally helpful pattern. Try writing it out yourself and see! **Plain Bob Minor** Finally, if your group enjoys change ringing but wants more than Plain Hunt, try Plain Bob Minor. It’s the exact same pattern as Plain Hunt, but with a slight variation near the end to give us 60 changes instead of 12. On the penultimate row of Plain Hunt, have Positions 1 and 3 make places. Then resume the pattern of switching: Positions 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 switch, then positions 2-3, 4-5 switch, etc. Work it out for yourself! **More Resources** [http://www.cb1.com/~john/ringing/glossary.html](http://www.cb1.com/~john/ringing/glossary.html) [http://www.ringing.info](http://www.ringing.info) [http://nagcr.org](http://nagcr.org) *Deepest thanks to Janet and Stuart McKernan, whose patient explanations were invaluable in decoding change-ringing. All mistakes found herein are, of course, my own.*   Posted on Dec 17, 2012 6:29:21 AM Filed Under: [Instruments and Ensembles](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/instruments-and-ensembles), Filed Under: [review-prelude](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/tag/review-prelude), - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Luke Tegtmeier](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Augsburg%20Fortress/AF_Prelude_Blog/Authors/LukeTegtmeier-Square.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=LukeTegtmeier-Square.jpg) #### Written by [Luke Tegtmeier](https://blog.preludemusicplanner.org/author/luke-tegtmeier) Luke Tegtmeier holds Church Music degrees from Valparaiso University and Luther Seminary, and works for Trinity Episcopal Church in Excelsior, MN, where he directs five ensembles. 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