Lillian
I don't want to replicate anything Don has written here, but sometimes a slightly different perspective can help.
When writing out a composition the call positions (the topmost row) are generally indicated with respect to the position to an observation bell. In a different context, think of this as an example of relativity; we are identifying the position of calls relative to the position of one bell at the end of a lead. Usually this is the heaviest bell (the highest number) involved in the composition. So for major (8 bells) the point of relativity is the 8th bell. On odd number methods such as triples (7 bells) the relative bell will be the 7th.
Don has already indicated, the nomenclature W,B,M,H indicates the position of the observation bell (the relativity point) at the call. The body of the composition reflects the position of that bell when a call is made, often
indicated as "-". If multiple calls are made at the same calling position, such as "3", would indicate three successive calls when the observation bell is in that position. A call indicated as "X" is often used to notate a call at a position that alters the length of the standard course. For example, a course of Cambridge major consists of seven leads. A call at position "B" implies a call at the end of the second lead, where the 8th bell does not make seconds place, instead moving into 3rds place bell. The consequence of this is that the 8th will arrive back in 8ths place (the course end) after only four leads, and so the call is often notated as "X", but not always, the discretion of the composer or notator might reult in seeing "-" , and the inference is the same. The symbol "s" will typically indicate a single call at that position and "2S" indicates two consecutive singles at the same position.
the column of numbers indicates the course head
resulting from the calls in each course. So for eample, a call "H" for Plain bob major produces the course head 4235678, while a call at position "B" results in course head "3526478". In many compositions the heavier bells are unaffected (the call has no effect on their positions relative to each other) and so they are redundant in the course head notation. Consequently, in the example above, you will often see these truncated to "42356" and "35264". The inference with respect to the effects of calls is identical.
The other calling positions, in which the heavier bells are affected, are often notated "4ths", in which the observation bell makes 4ths at the call (instead of becoming 3rd place bell), "5ths" in which the observation bells retains its normal course and is in 5ths place bell at the call, and "In" , in which the observation attains 2nds place instead of 4ths place at the lead head. On higher numbers of bells, there are more leads,
and hence more scope for calling positions that might be exploited.
As Don indicated, their are caveats and exceptions to all of these "rules" and are highly method dependent. For example, Stedman Triples compositions will often be notated "S,H,L,Q" and mean something entirely different (sorry!).
In "spliced" compositons, in which the method also changes from lead to lead, you will also find lists of letters that indicate the sequence in which the methods are run, for example "SYPNR" would indicate a five lead course containing the methods indicated by the five letters. The foot of the composition will often contain information about the musical content or other features of the compositon (was the composer trying to exploit certain features of the method )? In the cae of spliced, you will usually find annotation identifying the methods represented by the lettering.
before you begin, you might find something you want already exists. In addition, many people have spent many hours devising their own software, but I am of no help in this regard.
Best wishes
Andrew
On Dec 5, 2007 8:52 AM, Lillian Yiyuan wrote:
> Thank you every one for the help, I will request the books through
> inter-library loan as my institution does not have them in their catalog.
> The specific question is on how to read the numbers going
down the left hand
> section and the abbreviations at the top.
Most commonly the numbers down the left column are course heads. For
most methods and the most common way of presenting compositions this
is the backstroke row of the treble's full lead, when the tenor ends
up in last place. For simple compositions of royal and maximus this
will be every 9 and 11 leads, respectively. For major it might be
every 7, though it's far more common in major to have the tenors
affected by some calls, and thus you end up with varying course
lengths.
In the most common cases the column headings refer to where the tenor
is when a call is made. At even stages, H (Home) usually means when
it's in last place; W (Wrong) when it's in the penultimate place; M
(Middle) when it's in the ante-penultimate place; and B (Before) when
it runs out at a bob or makes seconds at a single.
All those weasel words about "usually" and "most commonly"
are
important. None of this applies to most (weasel word again!)
compositions of some very commonly rung methods such as Grandsire,
Stedman and Double Norwich. And while for most other commonly rung
methods it probably applied to the vast majority of compositions in
common use forty years ago, I'd guess that over half the compositions
newly published today at least augment the above with any of various
other things, or do something else entirely.
--
"A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks
they've lost."
-- Terry Pratchett, _The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents_