[r-t] The null change

[Mark Davies]

Don writes,

> Even some fairly
> sophisticated ringers will answer "720", missing the subtlety that it
> really only requires 719 changes to connect up those 720 rows

Don, Don, this isn't right. You've forgotten about the round block, the 
foundation of all ringing!

1. A change is not a permutation, or a place notation. It is an instance 
of movement between one row and the next.

2. We really do ring changes. You have to pull the bell to make it go 
up, down, change direction.

3. In a round block, there are the same number of changes are there are 
rows. A round block is like a necklace: each pearl is a row, each link 
is a change.

4. All touches are round blocks, viewed at the granularity of the row or 
change.

5. Truth and music arise from the rows you have rung, although I suspect 
the change, i.e. the way the rows are linked together, has a bigger 
bearing on musical effect than is normally guessed at.

Never forgot the round block! Rows=changes because every touch is a 
round block.

MBD