This is an excellent way of allowing learners (or anyone!) to practice Plain Bob, one piece of work at a time. Most of the band ring the same piece of work every lead, passing the treble in the normal place for that work. To practise different pieces of work, ring a different bell.
The figures are shown below for Doubles and Minor:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | |
| 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | |
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | |
| 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 5 | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
The treble and two are the only bells that have a different course - the treble makes 4 blows behind each time it reaches the back, while the 2nd makes a place one from the back, then comes back in and makes seconds over the treble. All the other bells repeat the same piece of work each lead: the 3rd does 3-4 up each time, the 4th does 3-4 down each time. In Doubles, the 5th does 4 blows behind each time; in Minor, the 5th does 5-6 up each time and the 6th does 5-6 down each time. To see all the lines in Doubles, click here.
Note that, having said above that to practise different pieces of work, you just ring a different bell, in fact you can repeat leads using this method at any point during a course of Plain Bob. However, I've tended to find that this can pose a challenge to the 'experts' in the band as much as to the 'learner'! For instance, if the ringer of the second needs to practice dodging 3-4 down, you would ring the plain course until the 2nd is dodging 3-4 down, then repeat that lead as many times as you wish. In this case, the 3rd was making seconds at that lead, so would be the one to do the 4ths (or 5ths in minor), while everyone else repeated the lead. Having repeated the lead as many times as necessary, you can then go on with the plain course as normal, so the 2nd would do 4 blows behind (or 5-6 down in minor) next. Any further leads can be repeated in the same way.
