Slide presentation on "Introduction to the Singing of Psalm Tunes" 1721

1. Introduction to the
Singing of Psalm Tunes
by John Tufts
The First American Music
Textbook

2. What?
Introduction to the
Singing of Psalm
Tunes

3. Who?
John Tufts
1689-1750
Harvard Grad
Minister
Author and editor of Introduction to the Singing
Of Psalm Tunes

4. Where?
Boston, MA
Newbury, MA
Amesbury, MA

5. When?
1720-1721

6. Why?
~To improve the quality
of congregational song
~To enlarge its repertoire

7. Justification
Psalm tunes in print had no
music
Bay Psalm Book
New Version of the Psalms of
David

8. Significance
 Led to the start of Singing Schools
 Influenced American music and music education
for over 100 years
 Trained churchgoers to sing
 Used Tufts’ book as a manual
 Became a prominent social event
 Used for music theory, sight reading, song
leading, composition, and ear training

9. Future Significance
 Prototype for numerous other tune
books written during the 18th century
 Tufts – first American to devise an
innovation in musical notation to simplify
music reading

10. Content
 Psalm Tunes on staff using Tonic sol fa
 9 editions from 1721-1744
 Editions ranged from 20-37 psalm tunes
 Editions ranged from treble only to 3 parts

11. Contents, cont.
 Directions on how to sing psalm tunes
 Theory
 Clefs, time signatures, sharps, flats, repeat
signs
 The diatonic scale using Tonic sol fa
 Intervals

12. Tunes
 Selected from other sources
 “Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained of
1721 and 1723” by Thomas Walter
 “Whole Book of Psalms” by John Playford
(London 1677)
“Hymns and Spiritual Songs” by Simon
Browne (London 1720)

13. Longevity
 18 of 37 selections have remained:
 S. David’s Commandment
Bella
 York 81 Psalm Tune Norwich
 Hackny or S. Mary’s
Windsor 100 Psalm Tune Exeter
S. James 113 Psalm Tune Martyrs
London New 149 Psalm Tune Southwel
18 Psalm Tune 100 Psalm Tune

14. 100 Psalm Tune
Was probably written by
Tufts. If so, it could be the
first published composition by
an American-born composer.

15. The
End