Search results
Shape notes are a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and social singing. The notation, introduced in late 18th century England, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools.
The shape note system is found in some church hymnals, sheet music, and song books, especially in the Southern United States. Instead of the customary elliptical note head, note heads of various shapes are used to show the position of the note on the major scale. The Sacred Harp is one of the most popular tune books using shape notes.
People also ask
What is a shape note?
What is shape note singing?
Where do shape notes come from?
Where can I find information on shape note?
Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. Links to more information on shape note are available on the More Notation Systems Page, under the heading “Systems that use the traditional diatonic staff”.
Sep 30, 2010 · Shape-note singing is America's most ancient form of choral music. It reached its apotheosis in the years before the civil war, after which its influence began to decline as the smoother, more...
Shape notes are a system of music notation designed to facilitate choral singing. Shape notes of various kinds have been used for over two centuries in a variety of sacred choral music traditions, all of them rooted in the Southern United States .
Feb 10, 2014 · 00:00. Shape notes. The popular Christian hymn, Amazing Grace, traces its tune to the ancient oral melodies passed down for generations by the inhabitants of the Scottish Highlands. Its words were penned later, during the 18th century, in Great Britain.
Shape notes, also called character notes or patent notes, are one of many notational innovations that, like solmization syllables, attempted to make sight reading easier. (Others included the tonic sol-fa system of Sarah Anna Glover and John Curwen , popular primarily in Britain.)
