The same only different

Some of the more advanced #bellringing methods are variations on a theme. The work that you do in one method often becomes part of the work that you do in another.  Quite often experienced ringers will describe methods as “so and so over thingy” (obviously using real methods names).  For the educated this makes it easier to put those two methods together to create a new one.  For the rest of us though its pure gibberish.  I understand that its relative to where the treble is.

In the virtual #bellringing sessions that I run on a Thursday night we’ve been ringing York Surprise Minor and now moved on to Durham Surprise Minor. You can see a lot of similarities between the two. The experts in the group say that York is London below and Cambridge above.  That’s ok if you know London and Cambridge.  Durham is Wells below and Cambridge above.  Wells is Wells below and London above.  Confused?

There’s a really useful table at https://www.ringing.info/minor/minor_41.html and Complib gives you more information on what’s above and what’s below in each of the 41 Surprise Minor methods.

This week I’ve rung London below and Cambridge above, Wells below and Cambridge above, Wells and London.  I can’t learn them as one thing above and another below.  That just fries my brain. 

I can see that 5^th place Wells is the same as 6^ths place Durham and that 5ths place London is the same as 6^ts s place York, which is, I suppose the same as the above and below bit, but I wouldn’t be able to figure that out without the line in front of me.

Mind…. blown!!