I was hanging about a tower and there were eager learners present. Their problems/issues/worries connected with ringing are my problems/issues/worries because although I have been around a fair bit longer, I still feel those insecurities and doubts on a regular basis. I was asked to stand by while a newbie practised standing a bell. That I can do because I am fairly adept at standing a bell so I can advise and share my own experience (think tippy-toes, even if you do not need to do tippy-toes). Then I was asked by a learner to teach them to raise a bell. That I cannot do because although I have to raise a bell or 2 every Reedham practice, I cannot do it securely enough to dare to presume to instruct someone else. They too might end up welded to the tail end, desperately wanting to flick it out from under their too tightly gripping thumb, but frozen with fear in case they end up with a slack rope and a minor emergency. I know my limits.
But when it comes to placing one's bell in the correct place for rounds, I know all too well how the internal dialogue progresses - the hearing that something is wrong but not being 100% sure what sort of wrong. Is it me or the person following me? I hear the clip or crunch, but are we both to blame or only one of us? If I am between 2 experienced ringers then fair cop – it is almost definitely me, but if I have a less experienced ringer to the left and/or right, it might not be me. And if it is me, was I too slow or too fast? I was obviously wrong but what complexion of wrong?
I suspect some ringers do not hear the unevenness in rhythm as acutely as others and carry on regardless, blissfully ignorant of the slight hiccup, but if you hear it but do not know what caused it and/or how to correct it, you have a problem. There was a lady this week on her 6th lesson, just beginning to join in rounds with support. I believe that she plays another musical instrument and she could hear the unevenness around her own place. She wanted to eliminate it but was not sure what to do – ring quicker? Ring slower? Glare at her neighbour? For once I had a sensible suggestion and I remembered Tadhill.
Tadhill is an unassuming little ringing app. I had forgotten all about it because, since lock down, I have moved on to using Abel to practise methods. However, I suddenly remembered how useful it is as a listening exercise. The graphics may be pants but if you need to practise hearing which bell is too slow/too fast and how you need to move to correct yourself, then Tadhill is the bees knees. It has a number of different functions but set it to rounds, allow for a fairly wide error (say 3) and then attempt to refine. When you get good at it you can ask for more than one bell in any row to be slightly off, which is often the reality of the situation in a novice band.
Go give it a try all you newbiesI. You will not regret it. I think I might revisit it myself because I often hear a blip and think "what sort of wrong is that?"
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