CONTENTS
Introduction
Course
And After Bells
Bells
At Front And Back
Working
With The Bells
Checking
The Calls
Lead Heads
Calling Peals
Checking
The Coursing Order
It is assumed in this article that you have read and understood the article "Understanding Coursing Order". It is also assumed that, even if you don't yet know what to do with a coursing you will nevertheless have practiced remembering them whilst ringing touches, quarter peals and peals and by practicing the transpositions whilst standing in the shower or at the bar. The purpose of this article is to go into deeper uses of the coursing order and not just stick to using it to know who's leading in Plain Bob.
It isn't intended that this article be the last word on using coursing orders because all conductors will gradually learn their own tricks. Instead it is intended to be an introduction to the ways in which coursing orders can be used and from which you can develop your own deeper understanding. It is also intended to show that coursing orders can be used for purposes other than keeping other ringers (or yourself) right. In particular, attention is payed to their use in helping conductors not to miscall peals.
The ways in which coursing order can be used are described in a sequence which reflects a good way to develop your skills. The following sections first describe the simplest things to look for, which can be achieved with the ordinary levels of ropesight of most ringers, and gradually increase the difficulty as the need for better ropesight increases. Once each stage has been almost mastered (don't try for perfection) the next can be started. The main thing with learning to conduct by coursing order is that you will make hundreds of very embarrassing mistakes at first. This is natural because you now not only have to transpose and remember the coursing order whilst ringing but you have to ring the methods as well. This is just too much at first but perseverance will eventually pay off.
Most inexperienced ringers, or ringers who haven't yet needed to, can't really see what is going on several positions away from their own position. In other words, ordinary ropesight makes it possible for ringers to see their position amongst the bells in a general way but they don't quickly recognise which bell is 3 or 4 (or more) positions away from them. It takes a lot of practice and knowledge of the structure of the method to be able to do this.
The first stage in extending your ropesight involves ringing simple methods in which the bells arrive at front and back in the coursing order. In such methods you can learn to see that the bell you are going to turn from lead or the back and the bell about to turn you are the correct ones. In fact, for musical reasons, in most methods the bells arrive at the back in the coursing order but very often they arrive at the front apparently at random. The best method to start with is Plain Bob.
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