Learning Plain Bob Doubles

So you've learnt to plain hunt and have plain hunted to several methods, Plain bob, Grandsire, St. Simons etc. either doubles or higher, hopefully you have even rung a quarter peal from the treble, now it's time to start learning something inside or on a working bell.  Traditionally it's either Plain Bob Doubles or Grandsire Doubles.  There are lot's of arguments which one should be first, I learnt Bob Doubles first so I tend to suggest it first, the bobs are slightly easier than Grandsire, but really I can't see it matters.

1. First of all learn the circle of work:

Plain bob doubles is just plain hunting with two bells dodging and the other two bells making places. You can learn the order of working using a circle as shown below.  The blue numbers are where each bell starts. In plain bob each bell starts just after doing a piece of work.  i.e. the 2nd has just made 2nd's 

2. Learn the Line

You need to learn the line, off by heart so you know the places to ring in.  Know your places will tell you what speed to ring at, Slow, Steady or fast. Keep drawing the line out on a piece of paper until you can draw it out without thinking about it, or you can use an app or computer programme.

I find the RSW website very useful, Plain Bob Doubles is available from the link below:

https://rsw.me.uk/blueline/methods/view/Plain_Bob_Doubles

3. Practice the line

Click the link and it will show the method. There are four buttons along the top.  1. Details, 2. Line, 3. Grid, 4. Practice.  Click on practice and you will be able to draw the line out on the screen using the arrows at the bottom.  I have made a short Youtube video of it of me doing it.

I did on my Laptop, but it's probably easier on a Phone or Tablet.  You need to be able to trace the line out off by heart without hesitation.

4. Practice the method

These days the use of computer programs make learning to ring so much easier as you can give yourself so much practice out of the tower.  I use Abel but there are many more apps and programs such as Bell Tower, Methodology etc.  Ring the method as much as you like, I have down a Youtube video of me ringing the 2nd to Plain Bob Doubles:

Once you can good at plain courses, try setting it for it to call a touch.  Try ringing it from all the working bells.

If you can practice at home it gives you a much better chance when you get into the tower.  Most times you may only get 5 minutes a week to ring it 'live' on real bells so you need to be ready to make the most of that time.

Two other methods to learn are:

Grandsire Doubles

https://rsw.me.uk/blueline/methods/view/Reverse_Grandsire_Doubles

Reverse Canterbury

https://rsw.me.uk/blueline/methods/view/Reverse_Canterbury_Pleasure_Place_Doubles

These both can be learnt in exactly the same way.  To download Abel click https://www.abelsim.co.uk/ or use Google play or the App store on Apple.

Above all count your places