Last updated on Saturday, 23 December 2006 08:09
Solo
Ringing
What
to do if you have way too much time on your hand(bell)s.
If you have started in ensemble ringing, and made your first bell change, putting down one bell and picking up another, you have already made the first step on the road to solo ringing! All the techniques described on these web pages will help you manage a few more notes in a bell choir situation - maybe start with filling in a few notes for a missing ringer. You may get the taste for bigger and bigger assignments, and soon you will be solo ringing!
Make it look easy. Share the music, not the anxiety!
It is easy to become pre-occupied with the business of how to get the right bell in hand at the right time. Beware of turning your performance into a juggling or acrobatic show. There may be times when that is what you are trying to achieve, but generally the music should prevail.
Know
your bells.
Don't follow "rules".
Experiment.
It is not just about how to grab the right bell, it is about how you play each individual note. Get to know the characteristics of your bells. Biased/unbiased, tight/loose, plastic/leather handles, stiff/floppy handles... etc. Use these characteristics to your advantage. Focus on the way an individual bell works, how many ways you can ring it, what effect it has on the sound.
Do what works for you.
Look for techniques that are comfortable. Be aware of your own physical limitations. Work with the natural movement of your hands and wrists, and more importantly your arms. Focus on the techniques that work for you and your bells.
Choosing music.
How
to approach a new piece.
Techniques.
If
you are interested in Change Ringing on handbells, you might like to visit
Glen Iris Handbell Ringers - Change
Ringing
Note for Netscape users. There are a number of MIDI files on this web page. In order to hear them, you will have to download them first. This should not take long as they are quite small.
.©
copyright Louise Salmon 2003
Permission to copy these pages is given for educational purposes, provided the
source is acknowledged, including the full URL.