Make Up Your Own Singing Call Figures

Figures

Make up your own

Do-It-Yourself Singing Call Figures
Rich Reel 4 Jan 2001

This page illustrates an easy way to create a wide range of singing call figures by mixing and matching equivalent calls and call combinations. These figures are easy and fun to dance, time well for 64 beat phrasing, and give the standard corner progression. You may recognise many of them.

Instructions Help with abbreviations Handy help in a frame (click NOTATION)

Start > > > > > > read left to right > > > > > 64 beats of time (not to scale) > > > > > >

First Part Ending

H-Pr1/2 SqTh4
RLT SqTh2 RLT PasTh TrdBy
DivTh C-PasTh
PsTTC C-PasTh
8Chn2

StrTh
SldTh [0L]ZERO*
SqTh3
RollA SqTh3
FltWh Sweep
RvFlt Sweep
RLT SldTh
T1/4 G-Run
BxGnt PsOcn
PsOcn C-Trd Recyc
FanTp Recyc
PasTh ChasR
PsOcn ExpWv
PsOcn Expl& SldTh Sw&Pr
T1/4 [1W]ZERO*
Scoot
Scoot Scoot
FYNbr &Sprd
[0B]ZERO*
SwThr B-Trd TrnTh AL
T1/4 Wk&Dg PtTrd B-WalkA

H-SqTh4 RLT VeerL
SwThr B-Run Cpl.C Feris DPT LrTrd
WhlDl DivTh C-PasTh
PasTh TrdBy
PsTTC C-PasTh
8Chn2

H-SqTh4 DoSaD SwThr B-Run
RLT VeerL Feris C-PasTh
H-Pr1/2 SqTh2
StrTh- PasTh
PsOcn Ext

H-Pr1/2 SqTh4
RLT SqTh2 RLT VeerL
SwThr B-Run Cpl.C 1/2Tg Scoot Scoot
Trd &Roll R.PBy AL
(any [1W]ZERO*) Sw&Pr
ChDTL FltWh Sweep
SqTh3
(flowing [0L]ZERO*)
G-Trd BendL
RvFlt Sweep
Feris C-SqTh3
C-CalTw
C-RLT PasTh
C-RLT VeerL VeerR
C-SwThr Twice Ext
C-4Cir2 PasTh
C-Sweep"2/4" PasTh

H-SqTh4 DoSaD ToWav
H-Pr1/2 PsOcn Ext SwThr SpTop
G-Fold PeelT RLT SqTh3
(flowing [0L]ZERO*) Sw&Pr
SldTh PasTh AL

B-Run BendL RLT FlutW SldTh
PsOcn Recyc
SHing SpltC B-Run
Wk&Dg PtTrd
H-SqTh4 DoSaD T1/4 SqTh3 CtsyT 2LChn Prom

Star Figures

H-SqTh4 RStar H-StarL RLT SwThr SwThr "again"
SwThr B-Run 1/2Tg
VeerL G-Trd Tag G-UTurn
RollA SwThr G-Trd
SqTh3 AL "come back"
RStar G-UTurn Sw&Pr
SqTh4
RStar H-StarL
DoSaD SwThr B-Trd
[0B]ZERO*
StrTh [0L]ZERO*
T1/4 [1W]ZERO*

Notes:

* ZERO .......
"Singing Call ZERO" - Everyone is standing next to their corner in the same quadrant where they will Swing. Call about 8 beats (or less if folks get behind) of calls that eventually move everyone back to the same quadrant for a Swing, etc.

* [0L]ZERO ...
[0L] standard arrangement lines, everyone paired with the corner they'll Swing. Find examples in the top diagram.

* [1W]ZERO ...
[1W] R-H waves with B looking in / G looking out, everyone next to the corner they'll Swing. Find examples in the top diagram.

* flowing ZERO ...
Note flow and hand use. Some of the ZEROs will flow, and some may not. Choose a ZERO that has the appropriate hand free and/or no sudden reversal of body turning direction without hand contact in that new direction.

Instructions
Read across from left to right to build a complete figure from the pieces. Starting with the left most box (box = zone or region in the above diagrams), read any one complete line of call(s) in the box. Continue from box to box toward the right reading only 1 line of call(s) per box. Move from box to box only when boxes are joined by at least part of a side edge (not if only touching at corners). Continue to the rightmost box to complete one 64 beat figure. In the top diagram, any "First Part" will work with the "Ending" to create a complete figure.

Each line of calls within any one box is equivelant to all others in the box except for flow and/or hand use in a few cases.
All calls (if more than one) on a line are important - do not leave any out.
The figure should make sense. Please check each figure carefully before using.
Flow
Be aware of flow and hand use when moving from one box to the next. Example:
Nice flow: [0L] RLT FlutW... [0F] BendL RvFlt... [2W] B-Run RvFlt... Very bad flow: [0L] RLT RvFlt... (no!!) [0F] BendL FlutW... (no!!)

Except where noted, most calls in adjacent boxes will have nice flow.
Not every combination will make an enjoyable figure. Example:
H-Pr1/2 RLT SqTh2 RLT 8Chn2 SldTh RLT SldTh Sw&Pr
(boring, excess leftward movement for Girls) Can you locate this figure?
Help with abbreviations and notation Handy help in a frame (click NOTATION)

H-Pr1/2	SqTh4 RLT SqTh2	RLT VeerL SwThr B-Run	Cpl.C	1/2Tg	Scoot Scoot Trd &Roll R.PBy AL (any [1W]ZERO*)	Sw&Pr
				ChDTL	FltWh Sweep
					SqTh3 (flowing [0L]ZERO*)
				G-Trd BendL
					RvFlt Sweep
			Feris		C-SqTh3 C-CalTw C-RLT PasTh C-RLT VeerL VeerR C-SwThr Twice Ext C-4Cir2 PasTh C-Sweep"2/4" PasTh

H-SqTh4 DoSaD ToWav H-Pr1/2 PsOcn Ext	SwThr	SpTop G-Fold PeelT	RLT	SqTh3 (flowing [0L]ZERO*)	Sw&Pr
			SldTh PasTh AL

		B-Run BendL	RLT	FlutW SldTh PsOcn Recyc
	SHing	SpltC B-Run Wk&Dg PtTrd
H-SqTh4 DoSaD	T1/4			SqTh3 CtsyT 2LChn Prom

H-SqTh4	RStar H-StarL	RLT	SwThr SwThr "again" SwThr B-Run 1/2Tg VeerL G-Trd Tag G-UTurn RollA SwThr G-Trd SqTh3 AL "come back" RStar G-UTurn	Sw&Pr
		SqTh4 RStar H-StarL DoSaD SwThr B-Trd
		[0B]ZERO*
		StrTh	[0L]ZERO*
		T1/4	[1W]ZERO*

* ZERO .......	"Singing Call ZERO" - Everyone is standing next to their corner in the same quadrant where they will Swing. Call about 8 beats (or less if folks get behind) of calls that eventually move everyone back to the same quadrant for a Swing, etc.
* [0L]ZERO ...	[0L] standard arrangement lines, everyone paired with the corner they'll Swing. Find examples in the top diagram.
* [1W]ZERO ...	[1W] R-H waves with B looking in / G looking out, everyone next to the corner they'll Swing. Find examples in the top diagram.
* flowing ZERO ...	Note flow and hand use. Some of the ZEROs will flow, and some may not. Choose a ZERO that has the appropriate hand free and/or no sudden reversal of body turning direction without hand contact in that new direction.