Big Blog #1: Shape-Note Singing

Week 3!! We’re almost done with week 3!! I’m really excited to talk to you guys about shape-note singing today-- it’s something I find really fascinating and I was excited to do some research on it, and I hope you think it’s as cool as I do. Some questions I hope to answer are: what exactly is shape note singing? How is it different from normal singing? Where did it get its start? Does it still exist today? If you have any other questions that I don’t answer in the blog, feel free to comment them! Otherwise, let’s get started! 

Definition and History of Shape-Note Singing

You may remember from music history (or intro to Music Education, if you were in there) this idea about singing schools. Singing schools were 1) the first kind of attempt at some formal music education, and 2) created with the purpose of teaching people to read and sing hymns and psalms in a worship setting. They began in the late 18th century in New England, but soon spread to other regions of the country. Why does this matter? Because it is from these singing schools that the shape-note singing tradition was born. Shape-note is a type of music notation, not completely unlike the way we read music today. The notes are placed on a five line staff with a clef and key signature, but you won’t see traditional quarter, half, and whole notes that range from do-ti. Shape-note notation is based on, you guessed it, shapes. Each pitch has a designated shape that lets singers know what to sing. This way almost anyone could learn to read and sing hymns without needing to know about music theory or how to traditionally read music. Originally, the shape-note hymns were based on a four note scale that went fa-so-la-fa-so-la-mi. Here’s a short video of a guy explaining and demonstrating shape-note singing better than I can: 

    Now, I know you're probably thinking: "Taryn, didn't you say this was in New England? That guy looks and sounds like someone I'd see in a Walmart down the road" or possibly "I thought you said this was a place to learn hymns for church. That definitely doesn't look like any church service I've been to". Which brings me to my next point: While the idea of shape-note singing did originate in New England church settings, it quickly became a very social event, especially among the rural south. Events called “singings” often took place once a week, where people could gather and rehearse, socialize, and make music. Again, the need for incredibly in-depth knowledge of music theory isn’t necessary, which allows for people to really enjoy the act of making music and the social aspect of it. Another thing you might have noticed is the title of the above video: “Kevin Barrans explains Sacred Harp Singing”. What on earth is sacred harp singing? Well, it’s basically shape-note singing! The Sacred Harp was one of the first and remains one of the most popular collections of shape note hymns. As shape-note singing became less about strictly music education and more about socialization and fun music making, people began to refer to it as “Sacred Harp singing”. As the tradition became popular among rural southerners, it did undergo a few changes. Some sacred harp singing that you hear may not be based strictly on the original shape-note scales, but may utilize a five note pentatonic scale that a lot of traditional folk tunes are based on, as well as some dotted and upbeat rhythms that might look complex written out, but are pretty standard in a lot of folk tunes. Here's an example of sacred-harp singing:

Some things to notice and think about: 

• Most of the people in this room probably can't formally read music. That is, if you were to write out this hymn with the same harmonies on a single staff with quarter notes and whatnot, they'd probably have some difficulty reading it
• Notice the first time they sing it, they're using the four note syllables, fa-so-la-mi, then the second time they transition to words. 
• Notice that funky thing they're doing with their hand? That's to help keep the beat. In some groups everyone does it, in some only the leader does it, and sometimes, like here, just a few people do it. 
• Do you hear any instruments? No! Sacred Harp singing is almost always a capella. In fact, sometimes they don't even have formal pitches given to them-- the leader will pick a note, give it to the group, and say start. Crazy, right?! 
• Lastly, what do you notice about the vocal timbre of these people? Do they sound like classically trained musicians? Ready for the MET stage? ...probably not. Again, remember that a lot of Sacred Harp singing was and is about socialization and the joy of making music, not a polished performance that meets the requirements and standards of western art music. 

Shape-note singing today

    Does Sacred Harp singing still exist today! It sure does! While not as common as it was in the 19th and 20th centuries, there are still churches that sing this way and always have. It's true, however, that in recent years the amount of shape note singing has begun to dwindle. Something interesting is that it has started to get a kind of revival among an unlikely group: college students and young people. Many universities around the country, especially in the south, have taken an interest in the art form, saying that they like the "non commercial" aspect of it as well as the low pressure environment and history. A quick google search will take you to plenty of websites where you can locate singings near you, as well as groups and communities of sacred harp singers. Finally, here's a heart warming video that shows lots of people from different walks of life who've all come together to help the Sacred Harp tradition live on:

Citations and stuff:

Eskew, Harry. “Shape-Note Hymnody.” Grove Music Online, Jan. 2001, www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000025584#omo-9781561592630-e-0000025584-div1-0000025584.4.

Thanks for reading :)