Plain Bob

Plain Courses of Plain Bob

Plain Bob - The Basics

At its most basic, Plain Bob can be seen as plain hunting with some ‘fancy’ bits. These fancy bits are called dodges and if we look at the stair analogy for plain hunting it would be like saying for a 3-4 up dodge - 1st stair, 2nd stair, 3rd stair, 4th stair, 3rd stair, 4th stair. Replace stair with place and you can see why it is vital to count your place when method ringing. So, what actually is a dodge? A dodge is simply where a bell takes a step back and then forward again with another bell doing the same but in the opposite direction, as shown below.

When you ring Plain Bob, or a lot of other methods at this stage the best thing to learn is how passing the treble affects you. No matter how many bells are ringing, there are always a few places that stay the same. When plain hunting, you will always come to the front and lead for two blows, this is exactly the same in Plain Bob but, after you lead if you pass the treble when you are in seconds place then you need to perform a piece of work known as making seconds. All this is, is staying in seconds place for two pulls rather than one - one hand stroke and one back stroke, then you lead and continue out to the back. This terminology is the same in any method so for example if you are told to make 4ths in another method, you stay in 4ths place for 2 blows rather than one.

If, however after you have led you find yourself passing the treble in thirds place then no matter how many bells are ringing you will dodge with a bell in what is known as a 3-4 up dodge as I mentioned above, you continue ringing into 4ths place before 'checking' the bell (see article on changing speeds/dodging here) back into thirds before continuing hunting back out.

There are certain types of position that can be easily identified such as the first blow in last place (at the back). If this is rung over the treble then you should know that on your way in you must perform another piece of work known as a 3-4 down dodge. This is the opposite to the up dodge mentioned above. On your way into lead count your place, 5ths, 4ths, 3rds, 4ths, 3rds, 2nds etc. instead of coming up to 4ths and then dodging, you come down to 3rds before dodging. Note that you will ‘check’ the bell at handstroke at this down dodge rather than at backstroke like at the up dodge.

Most places will ring Plain Bob Minor/Major so we will look at these specifically below but there are some other types of Plain Bob that you should be aware of. The first is the starting place for many and is Plain Bob Doubles so called because there are 4 working bells (bells that are ringing the method) and 1 hunting bell (the treble) meaning a total of 5 bells moving around, most times this is rung there will be a sixth bell and this stays at the back which is called covering which you should now be familiar with. There is one piece of unusual work that is found and any ‘odd number’ of Plain Bob (Doubles, Triples, Caters, Cinques) which is known as ‘long X’. X being the number of bells so in doubles you make long 5ths, Triples you make long 7ths and so on (see table below).

When you do this piece of work, you lie at the back for four blows, 2 hand and 2 back before continuing the method. This piece of work takes place in-between the two dodges closest to the back 3-4 up and down for doubles, 5-6 up and down for triples, 7-8 up and down for caters and 8-9 for cinques.

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Touches of Plain Bob

After you have mastered some simple methods, you will go back to basics but with a twist. You may have heard the conductor shout "Bob!" or "Single!" during a method and this is what is known as ringing a ‘touch’ of a method. This is the same for every method that exists. A method without any Bobs or Singles is called a Plain Course.

A touch simply makes a method longer whilst keeping it true (no order of bells is rung more than once). Being able to ring a touch of the first step to ringing things like a quarter peal and then eventually, a full peal and beyond.

It is most likely that you will start with touches of Plain Bob, as they are relatively simple to ring. 'Plain Bob Bobs' is something that will become familiar in methods such as Little Bob, St. Clements College Bob and even more complex methods such as Cambridge. When a touch is called, there are four things that can happen depending on your position in the method, this is exactly the same for all any number of bells, from Doubles to Minor even to Cinques and Maximus.

Bobs

We will first look at Bobs, when a Bob is called, you will be about to do a piece of work (like a dodge) and the treble will be about to lead. For example, you may be about to dodge 3-4 up so you will be in 3rds place when the Bob is called and the treble will be in 2nds place.

Here is what to do if a Bob is called:

Making 2nds:

If you are about to make 2nds over the treble and there is a Bob called, you do what is called ‘running out’. The bob will have been called when you are at your backstroke lead (treble in 2nds place). Instead of making 2nds, hunt out to the back and then back in again without doing any dodging at all. After you have led again, unless there is another Bob called, you should then make 2nds and carry on as normal (dodge 3-4 down next time). If, however, there is another Bob called, you should do the exact same thing again (run out and make 2nds next time).

Dodging 3-4 down:

If you are about to dodge 3-4 down and there is a Bob called, you do what is called running in. In essence, it is the opposite of running out which we have just talked about. Instead of dodging, carry on into lead, hunt out to the back and then on your way back in, dodge in the 3-4 down position as you were going to before. Like when making 2nds, if there is another Bob called, you do exactly the same again (run in, hunt out, dodge 3-4 down on the way in and carry on).

Dodging 3-4 up:

If you are about to dodge 3-4 up and there is a Bob called, you do what is called making the bob. Making the bob means that instead of dodging, you make 4ths (two blows in 4ths place). After you have made the bob, you do not carry on out to the back. Instead, you turn around, go back to lead and hunt out again. The making the bob basically acts like you have just done a 3-4 down dodge instead so at the next lead you should do the piece of work that is followed by a 3-4 down dodge (Doubles: long 5ths, Minor: 5-6 down etc.). If there is another Bob called, you do not do the same thing again like we have seen in the previous two as you are now in a completely different dodge. i.e., in Minor, you are not doing another 3-4 up dodge but doing a 5-6 down dodge instead. See below for details on what to do at one of these dodges.

Long 5ths, 5-6 down, 5-6 up and upwards (Long (L) 7, 7-8, L9, 9-10, L11 & 11-12 dodges):

What do you do when doing any other dodge or doing ‘long’ pieces of work in Plain Bob? Simply do nothing. This is what is known as being unaffected, you do exactly the same as you would normally. For example, if you are dodging in 5-6 down, you dodge in 5-6 down and usual and carry on. You can simply ignore the call that is made and carry on.

Singles

To finish off we need to look at Singles. Singles are very similar to Bobs and there is only a slight difference with some pieces of work.

Making 2nds:

Instead of running out like at a Bob, continue to make 2nds as normal. Dodge 3-4 down at the next lead as normal. You are unaffected by the Single.

3-4 down dodge:

Instead of running in like at a Bob, you need to do what is called ‘reverse 3rds’ and out. This is where you make thirds on the way in and then turn back around to go back out to the back again. This is like making the bob but instead of making 4ths and go in, you make 3rds and go out. The next piece of work to do after this will be making 2nds as the reverse thirds acts like a 3-4 up dodge. So, at the next lead you will make seconds unless a call is made.

3-4 up dodge:

The 3-4 up dodge is exactly the same as what you would do at a Bob. Make the bob in 4ths and go to lead and then back out again. Remember the making the bob acts like a 3-4 down dodge so you do the piece of work which comes after that (Doubles: long 5ths, Minor: 5-6 down etc.)

All other dodges:

These act the same as at a Bob. You are always unaffected and should ignore and carry on as usual. E.g if you are about to dodge 5-6 down and a Single is called, you should do the dodge as normal.

You may print this article and use it for teaching or learning purposes. For a print friendly version of this article please contact us via E-Mail at: info@learningtoring.org.uk

At a Bob

At a Single

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