A Foundation: Plain Bob Minor
The first task is to write out a plain course of Plain Bob Minor.
You can do without, but it is much easier if you use squared paper. If you’ve got a printer available, you can download some Squared Paper here, but it’s nothing special; draw it with a pencil and ruler if you want. Just make sure that you have marked out six columns. It can be good to mark a thick line every 12 lines because that checks you have got the treble right. The thick line should come in the middle of the treble lead.
Fill in the treble to just beyond the first thick line. Now do the same for the no.3 bell (it will plain hunt out to the back then in to the front). When you get to the thick line, stop plain hunting (the next blow will return you to where you started) – and make seconds.
Go no further – even though I have!
Now fill in the no.2 bell. (This leads first before plain hunting to the back then down towards the front.) When you get to the thick line, stop plain hunting (the next blow is blocked by the no.3 bell anyway). Your next blow is a step back into the 4ths column. This is a 3/4 down dodge.
So far, so good. I’ve told you what to do. Now it is time to apply your brain cell.
No pictures!
Repeat this process for the no.5 bell (Back to 6ths place for two blows. Hunt to the front then out.) Dodge 3/4 up with no.2 bell.
Now for the no.4 bell, followed by no.6 bell. You should end up with a row under the thick line: 1 3 5 2 6 4 If you don’t, then go back and try again. Remember that each bell must lead twice and lie behind twice!
IF you have successfully written out the first lead, you can now tackle the second one in just the same way. Notice that no.3 bell is following exactly the same path as no.2 bell did in the first lead. No.5 bell does what no.3 bell did; no.2 follows no.4’s old path; no.6 copies no.5’s route and no.4 takes the path of no.6.
After five leads, you should be back to 1 2 3 4 5 6
A hint: If you use my worksheets, there are only four leads in a column. When you get to the bottom, write the dodge in the pale squares below but then copy that row into the squares at the top before you start again.
Breathe a sigh of relief and go and do something more exciting! If you have an even half-tidy copy if Plain Bob Minor, don’t lose it. You’ll need it again later.
If you have succeeded, then take a photo of your work and text it to Chris.
If you are a MidiRinger, there may be prizes!
But the next game will be something completely different. Look for it on Monday…