APPALACHIAN SHAPED NOTES - HARP MUSIC - SINGING SCHOOL
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- I loved attending the old mountain church singing schools in Appalachia, when I was a child. We learned to sing-song the hymns by the "shaped notes". or "harp music". Churches held these singing schools because they either couldn't afford to purchase musical instruments, or they didn't allow musical instruments in their churches (some did, some didn't). Being able to "read" the notes made it easier to learn new songs when we got new song books - usually once a year. From my Grandfather's old rudiment book: "Music is the science of sound, or a rhythmical succession, or combination of pleasing tones." DO , RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI, DO
#harpmusic #harp #shapenotes #appalachia #appalachian #easttennessee #tennessee #music #mountainmusic #mountainlife #rural #shape note singing #Shape note #sacred harp
LINK TO VIDEO OF OLD HARP SINGING CONVENTION AT CADES COVE: • Old Harp Singing, Cade...
*ALL PHOTOS ARE COPYRIGHTED 2001 - NOT AVAILABLE FOR FREE USE
MUSIC:
Pioneers by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
I'm African American and my rural southern church used to do this during my childhood. When I try to describe it to others they don't believe it. I'm so glad I came across this!
I’ve also had people look look at me like I’m crazy, when I talk about this! LOL Thank you so much for your comment, and for watching!🤗
We still sing from our hymnal with the shape notes.
keep it up
Sacred Harp is NOT the Do-Re-Mi system. Sacred Harp is a five shape system Fa-Sol-La-Fa-Sol-La-Mi-Fa. The Aiken System, or Sofegio, is a seven shape system Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do.
MrJb728b Thank you for the clarification! We simply called it "shape-note singing". Very interesting info! 👍
Sacred Harp is four-shape. Fa, so, la, mi. Where do you get "five"? Fa-so-la-fa-so-la-mi is seven, because there are seven notes between the octave, except you only use 4 shapes to separate the notes. The "Mi" only comes ones per octave.
And anyway, it's the same system. You are just using fewer different shapes. Otherwise it's identical to the do-re-mi system.
I am aware of 4 and 7 shape-note systems used to sing harp music. The Sacred Harp (Denson, 1991) uses the former, but there are other, 7-shape tunebooks, like Wm. Walker's Christian Harmony, or Harmonia Sacra, etc.
Random fact:
'Guido of Arezzo' an Medieval Italian musical theorists came up with the "ut-re-mi-fa-so-la" mnemonic based on the first words of the lines of the Hymn 'Ut Queant Laxis' (hymn to Saint John the Baptist), this later became the Tonic Solfe, Solfege of "do-re-me-fa-so-la-ti-da".
Ut queant laxīs
resonāre fībrīs
Mīra gestōrum
famulī tuōrum,
Solve pollūtī
labiī reātum,
Sancte Iōhannēs.
Too bad you got them drums in the background.
Yes, the drums do make it a bit more upbeat than it should be, for this particular subject. The music is UA-cam music (free). Probably should have used a bluegrass track, or just not used music at all. Thank you for watching!
My father was born in 1912. He often told about the singing master coming through to teach everyone shape note singing. What a beautiful thing!
Mary Davis Thank you so much for commenting and for sharing your father’s story!❤️ It will always be a special memory of my childhood!
The novel "The Last of the Mohicans" has a character who is a singing master of "psalmody" (similar to sacred harp) in the mid-18th century. He travels around with other characters involved in fighting the French and Indian War. All he knows is religion and hymns -- he can't use weapons and is even opposed to war, but he and his singing skills still play an important role in the story.
@@atheodorasurname6936 I just now saw this comment! How interesting! I’ve never read this classic, but now it’s on my bucket list. Thank you so much for this comment, and for watching!🤗
Used this video to help with my collegiate music appreciation course. Thank you!
I hope you didn’t lose points for my poor editing skills! LOL. That’s awesome! Thank you so much for watching and sharing.🤗
My great grandfather would come to Nashville to Scarritt college for conventions .
The only music at his funeral was shapenote singing of the hymns. I was 8 years old and have never forgotten the heavenly magic of that experience. Thank God it hasn't been lost.
How interesting that the college held conventions, Nancy! I always assumed they were always held at churches (just based on my experience), but Im sure other colleges hosted them, as well. What a beautiful tribute to have the shape note singing at your grandfather’s funeral. Thank you for watching and for sharing!🤗
You are so welcome. During the pandemic I used mostly Utube to goback and sort of reacquaint myself to the old music. I'm sure you will be familiar with the Rose Ensemble. I ordered their cd's and really enjoyed the journey back in time. God bless you for sharing this with all of us.
@@nancynash2174 Actually, I haven’t heard of The Rose Ensemble, but I will make time in the coming days to be sure and look up their music, (as soon as I get some free time, where I can actually enjoy it). Thank you, so much!
I'm thrilled to come across this. I learned shaped notes as a young girl here in West virginia. When older attended my first singing school our pastor taught us. For many years I taught singing schools here in West virginia and have taught piano for over 55 years. My husband and I directed a county side choir following a shaped note singing school with over 100 members. It was a great time. The choir performed many times and had many practices during those 28 plus years we had to retire the choir several years ago due to physical issues and busy schedules of many of the members. Brenda and Dennis weaver. Point pleasant. Wv
How awesome! I’m always so glad to hear from those who experienced this wonderful way of learning to sing the notes. I’m sure it has extra special meaning for you, since you taught the singing schools. We children thought the singing-school teachers were celebrities! Lol. We looked up to them and were thrilled to receive encouragement and praise from them. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and for watching my little video!
You are brilliant, and I am so grateful for your explanation!
Oh no, it’s the technique that’s brilliant! Simple, but so easy to learn. Thank you for your kind comment, Karen! 🤗
I have my grandma's shape note hymnal. Love this!
Andrea H. Precious memories, for sure! Oh, how life has changed. Thank you for watching!❤️
Thank u for this video. The photos remind me so much of looking at old albums of my mother's family from southern Kentucky. They mostly belonged to the Church of Christ which used a shape note hymnbook and did not permit instrumental music. I attended that church through age 10. Throughout her life Mama used the do-re-mi system to read and learn any tune from sheet music or a songbook, while i learned the usual musical notation in school learning singing, violin and piano. Although no religious believer, i always missed the C of C's a cappella singing, but as good as that was, sacred harp singing is better with a wealth of incredibly beautiful hymns, most of which i never knew before i heard them on YT.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I remember visiting mountain churches that did not allow musical instruments, and a couple of those churches are still active in my area, today. The Appalachian/mountain way of life is quickly being replaced with technology and progression, but the culture and traditions are unique and beautiful. I hope stories like ours will help the younger generations to always remember and respect our heritage. As you stated, one can appreciate and respect a culture and their traditions, without necessarily agreeing with them; although it is my opinion that we can learn a lot from our mountain ancestors. Their resourcefulness and ingenuity helped them to survive, and music and worship were an important part of their lives, giving them hope during hard times. Their faith was, and still is, impressive. Thank you again for sharing!
@@auntmemeintennessee8033 Mama seldom had much spare time, but if she did, she might acquire an old used songbook or sheet music of songs she wanted to learn, and would lightly pencil in the solfeggio names for each note, then she could read and sing the tune quite well. She used that to teach herself and me and my two sisters lots of songs.
Been reading Durwood Dunn’s book Cades Cove. The Life and Death of A Southern Appalachian Community 1818-1937. On his chapter on The Folk Culture (page 155 & 156) he speaks about “old harp songs” and the misrepresentation by Horace Kephart and Justice William O. Douglas, both untrained phoneticians. I then looked up this on UA-cam and found this video. I’m so glad I did because this provided me with so much context about the people that lived in the areas of Cades Cove. Thank you
Not sure how I missed this comment! I want to read this book. Thank you for telling me about it and for watching!
@@auntmemeintennessee8033 We just arrived today in Gatlinburg and look forward to seeing Cades cove again!
@@buckan8r999 That’s great! Cades Cove never disappoints. I’ve been there probably 50+ times in my lifetime (only about an hour away from me). It’s like stepping back in time. Last time we were there, we saw a couple of bears, in addition to deer and turkey. Welcome to East Tennessee! Enjoy your vacation! 👍
You've explained this so well! Thank you for showing everyone! I learned some in Sunday School. I don't remember much now. Do you go to church? Maybe you could show the children in Sunday School how they used to learn this. Just to explain it... such a wonderful piece of culture.
Ash Lee MacPherson Thank you so much for your kind comment! I haven’t attended church in many years, but teaching kids this easy way to learn the notes is something I should look into. I now have a Grandson who I hope to share this (and more Appalachian traditions)with. I had a very love-filled childhood growing up in East Tennessee. It was a wonderful way of life!
Thanks! I really appreciate your clear explanation. Each note had a shape! OMG. I wondered why "shape note" music looks so much like plain ordinary music in a hymn book. Each note has a geometric shape I never noticed that!
The real trick is learning to get the notes right, though. My mother tried to teach us sight reading, but I never mastered it. Could play the flute, and the piano a little, not get the notes right to sing from a sheet of music off the top of my head. Brain just not wired that way.
I found it hard enough until I was six and a half to learn lines of hymns, or to count to ten, for that matter - if I'd had to learn to read music I'd have gone completely stark raving crazy.
Thank you for commenting! I tried the flute once.... major fail. LOL. But the flute is one of my favorite musical sounds!
This is just lovely! Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoyed the history lesson! I am a music research student and you and your video are fabulous! (And I have always believed eastern Tennessee is heaven on earth!)
Thank you so much for this kind comment!🤗 Good luck with your music research career. What an interesting career choice!
Your voice is Lovely! I grew up in a country church and most members were farmers, including my Grandparents. The old hymns are so lovely and something I always loved. My Mon played the organ sometimes and she would surprise me with my favorite hymn, Sweet Hour of Prayer. I find those old hymns come into my head quite often along with sweet memories. Thank You Kindly and Many Blessing! DaveyJO in Pennsylvania
@@daveyjoweaver6282 Oh, Sweet Hour of Prayer is such a beautiful and moving song! How sweet of your Mom to play it, knowing it was your favorite. I love getting comments where people share their experiences. Thank you for your kindness and for sharing your special memories! ✝️
@@auntmemeintennessee8033 Thank You again for your sharing and bringing back those memories! Having these memories and experiences are the true wealth! When I was 4 or 5 years our church was an old wooden clap board sided building surrounded by farms. There was a drifter that came in and sat behind us. He was dressed in old dungarees and being the curious little boy, turned around on my knees to have a look. My Mom grabbed my arm, turned me around and whispered, “that’s not nice to stare”! She said it firmly so I was well aware that I was not polite staring at this man. At the end of the service there were 10-15 people greeting this man and inviting him to a Sunday dinner. He had a good and Loving meal that day. This man in his old coveralls heading somewhere on foot, wanted to be in church that Sunday and hear a sermon but received a Loving meal he most likely wasn’t expecting. I also must tell you that my parents were married 76 years when my Mom passed in 2016 at 96. My Dad 7 months later at 97. Both had their minds with aging bodies of course but a Love all could see and feel. They both sang in the church choir many years and my Mom played organ and piano for years as well. Their choir at both their services and without being asked, sang their favorite hymns ! I’m 74 years old now and having my parents into my 60s was a blessing! We are Church of the Brethren and very much like Baptists. When my Dad was baptized they broke things ice on the pond that early spring! I was 12 in a nice warn tank! Lucky me, eh? So these cherished memories are precious, as I believe you well know. There is something very special about country churches, the music and old hymns and heartfelt folks of the land. Having my coffee on this early Sunday morning, telling you about fond memories? Well these are gifts from God and I say Amen to that. A very blessed Sunday to You and your family and memories! We receive Many Blessings and as the Amish saying goes, We grow too soon old and too late smart! Ain’t it the truth! DaveyJO (because I make good coffee) here in Lancaster County, Pa.
@@daveyjoweaver6282 Beautiful! Such a blessing to read this… thank you!🤗
When I was going to school in the 70's, this is how my chorus teacher was teaching us how to read notes. I never realized that this was different from the regular musical notes. Maybe that's why I never could understand them.. because my learning of the notes stopped right there because my Mom moved us south. But I learned this in southern Ohio.
Ohio…interesting!
The pictures bring back memories. It was just like that growing up in the Ozarks too. We carried water, had kerosene lamps, and lived in a two room log cabin with a fireplace at each end before Daddy chiseled a hole for a stovepipe and put in a stove. Mom could cook an angel food cake in a wood stove for birthdays (we had 12, counting Mom and Daddy) plus all sorts of delights for Christmas.
David Parker Wasn't it a great childhood? It was a hard life, but full of love. Great memories! Thank you for sharing!
Looks kinda ancient, if that's the right word, and also fascinating!
👍I have learned so much in 7 mins. 💖
❓🤔Are you saying “heart” music or “harp” music? 🤔
Thank you! I’m saying “Harp Music”, but we always just called it shape-note music. Have a great week!
Granny was born in 1900 near Pigeon Forge up Mill Creek. She knew shape note singing. ( family name Starkey) 💕
Beautiful area around Mill Creek in Pigeon Forge! Lots of great history. Thank you for watching, Rebecca!🤗
I'm surprised that the melody for Amazing Grace was in the soprano (treble) line. In my Sacred Harp book, the melody (for this and most other songs) is usually in the tenor line.
That’s interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the melody in the tenor line. Now I’m curious. I have a box full of old hymnals. I will look through them and see if I can find that placement (when I get time!). We used the ”SDN Theory of Music Rudiment Book”. There is another comment where someone said Sacred Harp placement for the melody is always in the tenor line, so this system that we used may not actually be “Harp Music”. Thank you for the interesting comment and for watching!🤗
Appalachia is a fascinating place with an intriguing history and music tradition. Thanks so much for sharing this. Subscribed to the channel #368 to help out another small channel like mine. Wish you the best!
Clauss Video Archive Thank you! I am supporting you, as well!
Im very familiar with sacred harp. I grew up and still live in the blue ridge mountains of NC. I play dog house bass and swimg a hammer, a carpenters hammer.
Thank you
Blue Ridge Mountains... so beautiful! I just subbed to your channel so I can hear you play. Thank you for watching and for sharing!
I think you have a beautiful singing voice.
Aww… that’s very kind of you! It’s nothing special. Thanks for watching! Have a great week!🤗
Did you use a 4-shape or 7-shape notation? I can't tell which is more common
Hi, David. 7-shape notation, with every note of the scale having a unique shape, from C to B (Do to Ti). I think the 4-shape notation was the earliest use of shape notes and only used the shapes for fa, sol, la, mi (I could be wrong about that, though). I’ve only ever known local churches to use the 7-note. Thank you for watching!
My father taught this kind of music. He was tenor in a gospel quartet. We were from Carter county TN.
Thats awesome! Do you have recordings or tapes of your Dad’s quartet music? The harmony from the mountain quartet music was (and still is) wonderful. Carter County is about 2 hours from where I was raised. Small world!
Thank you for the video, the story of family is a blessing. Love is what makes a family.
I agree 100%, Deborah!🤗
You have a lovely voice. Does shape note/ harp music notation come from Scotland or Ireland.
Using do-re-mi or “solfège (French) or “solfeggio” (Italian) syllables is taught in schools and colleges worldwide because it creates understanding of musical form and what a melody sounds like.
Thank you for your clear and easily understood - for me, at least - explanation of what “shaped notes were about and what they looked like.
Actually know what step of the scale is is more useful in my opinion in learning to sing a melody, than simply identifying the notes on the staff.
To identify where the different pitches are on a piano, and for playing the right notes on a flute or violin, identifying the note from “staff notation” is needed.
Thank you again from this music theory and history fan, flutist, and retired music educator. Great video!
I also have Scots Irish root. ❤❤
@@flautalee3090 Thank you for your kind words and thank you for sharing your knowledge! I’m not sure where shape notes originated from, but my rudiment book notes a publisher in New England. I subbed to your channel and I see you play the flute. I love the flute but I never could learn to blow it correctly. Thank you again!🤗
@@auntmemeintennessee8033 Thank you for saying so. I really do love music and learning about different aspects of the field.
I have a question. Have you begun flute playing ~~ had lessons in school or privately? Flute is just about impossible to learn reading from a book. The production of the sound, for example. Also how you are placing the lips, the right hand, the left hand.
👍😍🤩This is so fascinating & informative. Thank you. 💝
Thank you!🤗
I chuckled when you said “it sounds like a different language really.” As I was listening when you first started singing, it almost sounded like a Navajo language, and then you made your comment. Good stuff.
Wow, don’t know how I missed this comment! After reading your comment, I searched videos on the Navajo language, and you’re right. It does have a hint of the dialect. Fascinating ! Another commenter said shape notes are loosely based on an old language (forgot the origins). Thank you for this comment and for watching!
Wow, that is brilliant!
Many thanks for this wonderful video and great singing!
Marc Salyer Thank you very much! (Not a singer though. LOL)
I thought you said you couldn't sing! I think you have a fine singing voice. Thanks for the interesting video!
bigzach1000 bigzach1000 LOL, I really can't... But I DO love music (of every kind). Thanks for watching! Never dreamed that anyone would ever watch this video!
Loved your video!
@@cardinalflower6959 Thank you so much! Have a wonderful week!🌼
great video, I love your accent so so much!
coolenaam Thank you!😍
My great-grandmother had shape note singing school in her home in Southern Ohio. Hearing this music reaches something deep in my soul.
@@ediereay7507 Yes, it is a great memory! Back in those days, it was a great way to fellowship with others. The old sings really touch my soul, as well. Thank you for sharing your memory!🤗
Your comment on singing in another language may be more accurate than you believe: there was a language invented in the 18th century called Solresol which was based on the notes of the scale: do re mi fa sol la ti. I don't speak ot or read it but I've investigated it a little: dore do milasi sisol (ti was replaced by si for some reason) means "I do not love you, madam".
Douglas Mosier How interesting,! I will have to research this; for sure. It is all so fascinating! I remember (as a very small child) the elderly people using old English and / or Scottish words, such as ye (Are ye going to worship?), thou, thee, wast, whence...I remember my mother teaching me to use the word “you” instead of “ye”. Thank you for sharing this, and for watching,
I JUST SUBSCRIBED,,I HEARD TIPPER OF ,,,CELEBRATING APPALACHIA,,,ON YOU TUBE MENTION SHAPE NOTES SINGING
Thank you, L B! I will check out the Tipper channel.
I took an American Music Class and Shape Note Singing was included as it was part of Early America. There are still Shape Note Singing groups around the Country and you can still purchase the song book. I would like to do this one day. By the way, you have a lovely voice!
How awesome that it is still being taught! I hope you get to participate in one of the groups, one day. Thank you so much for watching and sharing your experience!
The Church of Christ i attend we still use this typeof music in our worship.
Oh, wow! That’s so awesome! I’m glad to hear it. Thank you for watching and for letting me know!
Sacred Harp is sung without instruments because it sounds better that way. The voice is the "sacred harp", and instruments don't add anything to it. Which is tied into the whole "no instruments" religion thing.
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing this. I remember, so clearly, how strange and beautiful it sounded.
I'm sure some of the more strict churches don't allow anything in that hasn't been baptized, and baptizing a piano would ruin it.
But Sacred Harp singing is a descendent of West Gallery singing from England. And West Gallery music was often accompanied, usually not with organ (small village churches could not afford an organ) but with cello, bassoon, clarinet, or whatever instruments were available. Often the same musicians would play for village dances on Saturday night, then accompany the choir on Sunday morning.
Sacred Harp Fa-So-La is alive and well.
Just subscribed to your channel. I seen some of your interesting and informative comments on the channel where the guy was making cheese . 💝
So nice of you! Thank you so much. Have a wonderful week!
Tycony didn't like the New one.
Interesting!
👍🏼✝🎵🎼🎵
Dan Seals, huh? Who says traits aren't genetic, lol.
Laurie Van Den Beldt I've never met him and probably never will. LOL We just had our Tennessee Seal Reunion, last week. My aunt is going on 90 years old, and she said she thinks that branch of the Seal Family "set up their home places in Texas". Thank you for the comment!👍
Aunt MeME in Tennessee Too bad you've never met. Would probably great time around the campfire at a family reunion! Love the shape note singing. Seems to be growing. Saw several videos last night of groups in Ireland singing shape note songs here on UA-cam. Bringing our world together with music is the way to go I believe. Peace be with you. Laurie
In Sacred Harp the melody is ALWAYS in the tenor part. Also, there is no "Do", only Fa-So_La_M. Fa is Do.
Correct! Sacred Harp is NOT the Do-Re-Mi system. Sacred Harp is a five shape system. The full scale goes "Fa-Sol-La-Fa-Sol-La-Mi-Fa". The Aiken System, or Sofegio, is a seven shape system. The full scale goes "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do".
shape notes = harp music and it was very easy for you to learn this as a child, got it, thank you for repeating it so many times
Yes, I was nervous and you’re correct - redundant, indeed! LOL Thank you for watching, anyway!
LOL, seriously? The hymn book in the opening shot credits (so-called) "Amazing Grace" to William Walker? What a crock. No-one knows who wrote that tune; closest anyone can figure it may have been Lucius Chapin. Probably these people took the tune (at several removes) from Walker's _Southern Harmony_ and somehow between there and here his name got affixed to it. But it's wrong (hey, at least they put a credit on it, which is more than a lot of old song books bothered to do). Which brings me to my next point: it's not called "Amazing Grace", it's called "New Britain". Amazing Grace is the name of the _words), which were written decades before by John Newton. The word and the tune have nothing to do with each other. Each was around for a long time before it was finally matched to the other. Now everyone just calls it "Amazing Grace, by John Newton". It's the tune that people love the best, and it's a shame that it doesn't get any kind of individual recognition or independence.
Kel Harper Wow! Very informative. Thank you for this information!
do you feel better now?
Do you really enjoy being a jerk? You would screw up the recipe for drinking water for your own joy.
To clarify, Wm Walker is noted as arranger. The reference would show that Mr. Walker arranged the New Britain melody into four-part harmony to further music education in churches and singing schools.
god bless the people that keep the scots irish going
Indeed! Thank you for watching.