Changing the speed of your bell

Once you can hear your bell, you can alter your ringing until the spaces between the bells all sound evenly.

If you need to ring more quickly you need to ring below the balance so that the bell moves through a smaller arc. Slow or check the sally or backstroke so the bell does not rise as high. You may need to:

• check the sally and don’t let it rise so high at handstroke.
• take some rope in [shorten the tail-end] at backstroke.
• put more weight on the stroke to keep the bell up after you have checked the stroke.

If you need to ring more slowly you need to ring at the balance so that the bell moves though a complete arc. Let the sally or backstroke rise to (or nearer) the balance. You may need to:

• put more weight into the previous stroke.
• let the sally rise a little higher at handstroke.
• let some rope out [lengthen the tail-end].

If you need to adjust the length of the tail end it is at this point that you take up rope.