People are often confused by the term "Ring Faster after the XXX bell" or "Ring Slowly after the XXX bell" when they first start ringing plain hunt and methods, how fast is fast and how slow is slowly? The speed change is actually very little.
Rounds Speed
The actual speed the bells are rung varies from tower to tower and is related to a number of factors, one being the tenor bell weight. On this page we are going to assume for simplicity that in rounds each bell rings at 2 second intervals ringing in 'cartwheels' not leaving a gap at handstroke leads. This would equate to a Peal Speed of 2 hours 48 minutes for 5040 changes. Check the peal boards in your tower and calculate the speed by dividing the time in seconds by the number of changes.
The diagram shows the time between handstroke and backstroke is 2 seconds for each bell whatever its colour. In a 6 bell tower, the interval between each bell ringing is a quarter of a second. In a 8 bell tower, that interval is reduced to a third of a second.
Plain Hunting
The diagram illustrates how the overall speed remains at 2 seconds per change, measured here by the (Red) Tenor bell. The last row of rounds and the first four changes of plain hunt are shown. When ringing in rounds, you ring then five more bells ring before you ring again.
The (Blue) Treble bell hunts up / out to the back and must ring more slowly than in rounds to achieve it. It is a slower 2¼ seconds as there are six bells before it rings again.
The (Silver) fifth bell hunts down / in to the lead / front and must ring slightly quicker as there are only four bells before it rings again.
In plain hunt doubles at some time each bell makes two blows in fifth place. This is illustrated by the (Green) third bell, it needs to ring slightly slower as it moves out to fourth place at the 1st Change, then to fifths place on the 2nd Change, but as it remains in fifth place at the 3rd Change it rings at rounds speed before speeding up to ring in fourth place in the 4th Change, the diagram shows how its speed changes. Each bell also makes two blows in the lead, again it rings at rounds speed before slowing down to move away from leading.
Bell Control
Only a small speed adjustment is required to be able to ring plain hunt and methods. On six bells its approximately quarter of a second faster or slower, on eight bells a third of a second, reducing to eighth of a second on twelve bells.
To slow down, pull slightly harder at the previous stroke. At a handstroke catch the sally a little lower or let you arm stretch higher at backstroke, allowing the bell to rise closer to the balance, slowing it down.
To speed up, don't pull the previous stroke quite as hard, catch the sally a little higher than in rounds or check the backstroke preventing the bell from rising to the balance, speeding it up.
