Touches and Compositions

Note that most of these touches can be rotated, i.e. started at any point, going back to the beginning at the end.
e.g. the 100 of Bob Doubles, PBPPBPBPPB could be started three leads later, to give PBPBPPBPBP.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but if you have any particular favourites that I ought to include, please let me know.

There are some notes on conducting on the site too;
Presentation from 2005 Association Training Day
Conducting Plain Bob Minor

Other Links

Quarter Peal Compositions Don Morrison's extensive collection
John Warboys' Compositions Includes a lot of Surprise Minor
Mark Banner's Collection Includes many touches from the Ringing World Diary, among others
Adam Beer's Visual Method Archive Find the blue line for any method
Calling Touches More about touches and calling
Conducting Worksheet From John Heaton's collection of worksheets
The Best 1280 Quarter peal compositions for any Treble-Dodging Major method, by Stephen Beckingham
Composition Library Lots of information about methods and compositions

 

Plain Bob Doubles
60 PBPBPB or BPBPBP In the first version, the 4 makes the bob three times; in the second version, the 5 makes the bob three times.
100 PBPPB PBPPB Good for a learner to have just one type of bob at a time; e.g. here the 2 is only ever unaffected or runs in
120 PPPB PPPB PPPB "The usual" - call one bell unaffected three times. Each of the other bells does "IOM"; In, Out, Make It, in some rotation (i.e. I O M, or O M I, or M I O). Remember it as "Isle Of Man".
100 PBB PBB PBB P Good for practice - and note that you're back in the plain course after each pair of bobs - provided by Graeme Heyes (FALSE)
120 PB PPB PPB PPB P More good practice - every bell does every call once. (FALSE - NB may come round more than once if rotated).
180 PBPBPP PBPBPP PBPBPP Call the 5th; Out, In, Out, In, Out, In. (Contains every row at least once, but no more than twice)

See here for a piece on calling multi-extent touches of Bob Doubles
 

Grandsire Doubles
39 PBPP The three goes into the hunt at the bob. (NB can't be rotated).
60 PBPBPB or BPBPBP In the first version, the 5 double-dodges 4-5 up at each bob; in the second version, the 3 does so.
90 PPB PPB PPB The third is unaffected throughout - makes 3rds at each bob. (FALSE - NB may come round more than once if rotated).
120 PPS PPS PPS PPS (FALSE - NB may come round more than once if rotated).
A complete list was published in the Ringing World and also, for touches including Extremes, see John Irving's web site
 

St Simon's Doubles
and also St Martin's etc, as well as Reverse Canterbury
40 BBBB A bobbed course.
60 PBPBPB or BPBPBP In the first version, the 4 makes the bob three times; in the second version, the 2 does so.
60 PPB PPB One bell runs in twice; another runs out twice. (NB making 3rds in Reverse Canterbury)
100 PB PPPB PBBB Starts off innocently enough, calling the 2 unaffected; but then there's a sting in the tail!
120 PPPB PPPB PPPB As above, call one bell unaffected three times. Or "I O M".
120 PBBB PBBB PBBB 9 bobs! Call one bell "affected" - i.e. every time except when they're unaffected.
 

Stedman Doubles
120 2 singles The same pair of bells is affected at each single. The usual way is to be one of the bells yourself, then call a single each time you meet your chosen victim in 4-5. A neater way is to call yourself unaffected - the easiest places to do this are just as you leave the back, either going in quick or slow (but the same both times); the call is made at your (first) blow in thirds place. Or another easy place to call is at your first half turn (i.e. the handstroke point lead).
120 4 singles Two pairs of bells are affected here, with a single called every 30 changes. But the easiest way to call it is again to call yourself unaffected; call a single each time you go in quick and at your first half turn, as described above.
The pairs affected can be 12 & 34, 23 & 45, 35 & 14, 25 & 13 or 15 & 24.
Note that any touch of Stedman should come round, as long as it contains an even number of Singles, so don't panic if you miss a call; just put it in anywhere else!
See here for all the possible true touches of Stedman
 

Plain Bob Minor
72 PPBPPB One bell (either 4, 5 or 6) makes the bob twice.
108 BBP BBP BBP Good for practice for 2, 3 and 4, each running in and running out twice. And musical too, called this way round.
120 PPPBB PPPBB "The usual" 120 - one bell is called unaffected each time it is dodging in 5-6.
120 PPPSS PPPSS ... or you can call a single everytime one bell is in 5-6.
131 BPPPS BPPPS P The 6th is dodging in 5-6 at each call - very similar to the 120 above, but alternate bobs and singles. BUT it's false - and you need to be on the ball to call "That's All" in the right place.
120 PBPBPBPBPB Good for practice - each bell does each bob once (but may contain 65s at backstroke).
143 PPPPB PPPBPB (P) Call 6th Home, In, Home - comes round at handstroke. (FALSE)
144 BPSPB BPBBPPS Plenty of calls - and includes Queens.
180 PPPPB PPPPB PPPPB The equivalent of the 120 of Bob Doubles - one bell does 5-6 down at every bob, one bell does 5-6 up at every bob, the others do "I O M".
240 BPPB BPPB BPPB BPPB BPPB Each block of four leads returns to the plain course, so this touch can be easily shortened as required, say for a service touch. (It's also the start of a nice 720...)
 

Kent Minor
144 PPB PPB One bell (either 2, 3 or 4) makes the bob twice.
240 PPPBB PPPBB "The usual" 240 - one bell is called unaffected each time it goes into and out of the slow work.
240 PBPBPBPBPB Good for practice - each bell does each bob once (but does not contain 65s at backstroke).
 

Cambridge Minor
93 SBP(P) Comes round at the treble's handstroke snap lead (i.e. before the final plain lead). (FALSE)
120 BBBBB "A bobbed course". Call a bob every lead. Every bell does each bob once.
122 PBSBB Comes round at the treble's backstroke snap lead. The 3 is unaffected until the last call. (FALSE)
167 PPBPB B(P) Comes round at handstroke. (FALSE)
170 BBBBP BS They think you're calling a bobbed course, but you miss the last bob, then call a bob and a single. Again comes round at treble's snap lead. (FALSE)
189 BSBP BBB(P) Plenty of calls! Comes round at the treble's handstroke snap lead (i.e. before the final plain lead). (FALSE)
192 PPPB PPPB One bell (works for any one except the 3rd) makes the bob twice.
194 PPBPP PPS Comes round at the treble's backstroke snap lead. 4 and 6 are unaffected, and the 2 just runs in and is unaffected.
216 PPB PPB PPB One bell (2, 3 or 6) runs in three times; one bell (3, 4 or 5) runs out three times.
240 PPBPB PPBPB "The usual" 240 - one bell (here the 6th) is called unaffected each time it is dodging in 5-6.
 

Plain Bob Major
160 BPPBBBPPBB The most-used short touch. Sometimes varied by replacing two bobs with two singles.
160 BBPPBBBPPB A little-known variant; this parts the tenors, but gives some nice music.
160 PBBBP PBBBP Slightly different again; the bobs are all made by 6, 7 and 8.  (Tenors parted for two leads).
224 BPPPPPB BPPPPPB Just like the 120 of Minor - call one bell (here the tenor) unaffected each time it's in 7-8.
224 PPBBPPP PPBBPPP A rotation of the above, with the 2, 3 and 4 unaffected, giving 8765s at the back.

Quarter Peals

Plain Bob Minor

Some quarters that can be easily called from any bell. No 65s at backstroke.
Both the 720s and the 600s are all based on a 300; H, H, H, W, W, W. Call 720+600 for a quarter
 
From the 2nd 720: H, H, SW, W, H, W, W, W; repeated 600: H, H, H, W, W, W, S2nds; repeated
720: H, H, W, W, W, 4ths, S3rds, H; repeated   
 
From the 3rd 720: H, H, H, W, W, SH, H, W; repeated 600: H, H, H, W, W, SW; repeated
720: 4ths, H, H, H, W, W, W, S3rds; repeated  
 
From the 4th 720: H, W, SW, H, H, W, W, W; repeated 600: SH, H, H, W, W, W; repeated
720: H, H, H, W, W, W, S3rds, 4ths; repeated  
 
From the 5th 720: H, H, H, W, W, SH, H, W; repeated 600: H, H, H, W, W, SW; repeated
 
From the 6th 720: W, W, W, H, W, SW, H, H; repeated 600: W, W, W, H, H, SH; repeated
 

Key: H=Home (56 down), W=Wrong (56 up), 4ths=Make the Bob, S=Single.

 

Cambridge Minor - bits to add on to 720s
552 In the familiar WHW WHW WHW, replace two consecutive Wrongs with an In.
Note that the next Home will come at the following lead.
(For HWH HWH HWH, replace two consecutive Homes with an Out)
576 Call 6th: Run In, Wrong, Home, repeated twice (i.e. IWH IWH IWH)
or 5th: Home, Run Out, Wrong, repeated twice (i.e. HOW HOW HOW)
578 Call 6th: W, 4ths, W, 4ths, 4ths, W, W, 4ths, SW
600 Call 6th: W, W, W, H, H, H
or 5th: H, H, H, W, W, W

 

1280 Plain Bob Major

 
W 4 B I M H   2345678
2   2         2654378
  -       3   3572468
      - - 3   3246578
    2   -     2534678
-         2   2345678