Write out a method using place notation

My Ringing

Place notation is a short-hand way of describing a method without the complication of drawing a diagram. It is very rare, although possible, for someone to learn to ring a method using this notation, however it is often used to communicate a new method to another person by text or to a computer.

Place notation uses four different types of notation:

  • An “x” means all adjacent bells swap position
  • One or more numbers mean that a place is made in the positions indicated by the number(s)
  • A “.” separates places if they come immediately after each other
  • A “,” before the last numbers denotes that these places are at the lead head

Using these four types of notation, all the methods that have ever been rung on any number of bells can be defined with a single row of characters.

Plain Bob Minor – place notation is x16x16x16,12
St Clements Minor – place notation is x16x36x36,12
Cambridge Surprise Minor – place notation is x36x14x12x36x14x56,12

This series of characters defines the places that are made at each change. As methods are symmetrical, place notation is usually only written down for the first half lead i.e. until the treble rings at the back of the change.

A lined piece of paper along with a pencil is all that you need to construct a method using place notation. For this challenge, you should select a Treble Bob or Surprise Minor method as it will have more rows to get the hang of the idea in comparison with a Plain method. If you want, you could use the Cambridge Surprise Minor place notation from above.

 

You can ask a more experienced ringer in your tower to show you how to write out your chosen method or there are some excellent resources on line that you can use.  As you write out the method method keep on eye on the path of the treble – in almost all methods it will either plain hunt or treble bob.  If the path of the treble deviates from either of these then you’ve almost certainly made a mistake.

There is also this resource on place notation available online

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