Songs of Appalachia: Shape note singing

[piano1828]

I love it! I play a piano in church, for the church. The guy does a really good job with the piano. It makes the so music so much better to have an accompaniment. I can't say enough about the whole congregation and the way the piano is played. I could watch it over and over again.

[Christophersmith0711]

SHAPED NOTE singing and Sacred Harp singing are two COMPLETELY different things. Get your facts straight,

[Christophersmith0711]

This music is SHAPED NOTE Gospel Music. The book is the 2008 Gospel Heritage Music's book titled "Journey

[erfling1]

I'm guessing if the audio setup were better, like individual singers mic'd, the piano would sound just fine. I think it's just a mixing thing. And of course the Sacred Harp stuff was heard fist by us hipsters, with our ears overtuned to "authenticity"

[owlandtree]

@erfling1 "And of course the Sacred Harp stuff was heard fist by us hipsters" What?! Okay, Rainbow gatherings are for part timers needing seed visions; those are Hippies.  Hipsters are trustafarian rich kids who worship the idea of "authenticity" and "natural" while keeping up with the latest expensive trends, paid for by dope they grew with their little kit from the store. Hipsters started no music, heard nothing "first". Sacred Harp has been around since the late 1800's. What a conformist.

[Flextones]

This kind of music requires a fine sense of musicianship. Your ear and your voice have to work in perfect tune. Light instrumental accompaniment is fine but it can be overdone where it interferes with the vocal frequencies.

[Aerohog1]

I don't like the sound of the piano with the singing. Is the piano using the full chromatic scale? If so, it like instruments in one key and singers in another.

[mountainclimber78]

loose the piano accompaniment; it will sound better.

[MarthaH605]

There are several branches of shape note singing, each with its own traditions: New Harp of Columbia; Missouri Harp; Christian Harmony. The Sacred Harp is the most widespread. Some other books, formerly used, are not much (or at all) used now: Southern Harmony and Kentucky Harmony are two examples.

[MarthaH605]

This is called New Book or Little Book singing. It's its own tradition--a legitimate branch of seven-shape singing with many gospel-sounding songs and sweet-sounding harmonies. A new book is published every year and people enjoy singing the new songs. (Stamps-Baxter was one publisher in this tradition.) It has a long history, though not as long as the Sacred Harp, which was published in 1844 in Hamilton, Georgia. (Before that was Southern Harmony, published in 1835.)

[yaesuham]

Can someone find out what song book they are using ?? Would love to have a copy myself.. Great singing

[mudws]

Some of the comments seem to confuse this shape-note gospel music with Sacred Harp singing. Charles Towler is an authority on this music, which is often accompanied very effectively on the piano, as in the songs on this clip. And he's right that it's a post-Civil War style, rooted in the southern US, though influenced by Bliss, Sankey and other northern musicians. I'm pleased to see they're still singing the syllables here, which are often omitted these days.

[chickenetti]

I agree shape note singing is much more striking without accompaniment, and if you were going for a purist/historical approach, it would be out of place, but remember all music we have today is modified, borrowed, and developed from other music, so I wouldn't be too critical if they have modified the practice to their own uses.

[chria3886]

@chickenetti I know this as Sacred Harp Singing and I totally agree with you that it is better without accompaniment, acapella is more effective.

[ClaireConrad]

Please, people unacquainted with shape-note sacred singing, heed this: Shape-note songs should NEVER have any instrumental accompaniment! It does violence to the original intention! The addition of piano horrifies me—and any other traditional Sacred Harp singer will tell you the same! Just look in the introduction to The Sacred Harp, where the a capella nature of the tradition is made abundantly clear!

[MarthaH605]

@ClaireConrad See my comment above. This particular shape-singing tradition DOES use piano and always has.

[flange5st]

......this reminds me of the choir practice of my childhood.....it is an extension of the old pentatonic " sacred harp" singing to a diatonic scale.....the shape notes were used to learn melodies...it would be neat to hear them do the southern style quartet singing, ( which is in this video), with out the piano...it is a joyous noise!!!

[drauntsusu]

Who is playing the piano? Whomever it playing is fantastic! This is convention singing with people singing the shape notes and the lyrics and is NOT an insult. It is heavenly music to my ears. Keep on posting the convention "new book" singings.

[AuburnGradAuburnMom]

Shape note singing is sung acapella. This is gospel music, not shape note singing.

Both types praise God and that's what's important.

[iknowwhatyouare]

Shape note, or old way, comes from Europe for sure but it was never exclusive to New England, unless we are to believe that New Englanders (Irish and Scottish immigrants) never went south. They certainly did and brought this music with them. Just like jigs, and reels became bluegrass, shape note did blend with other things including some not documented to my knowledge, non- convention style singing, Sacred Harp is only a book... it should not be viewed as the source of it all.

[wepecket]

Interesting bunch of comments. Oddly, almost everyone is correct! The great thing about traditional, "hands-on" music (particularly American trad music) is that it is rich in diverse cultural contexts and subtexts. What's important in this video is that the process and tradition are being handed over to new, younger people. This is exciting!

[ServusGrueziHallo]

That is all fine and good, but let us not revise and rewrite history please, and not revise and rewrite the origins of things. Is that too much too ask.

Pie isn't American either. Pie comes from England.

[tommyjohnson43]

Actually Sacred HArp music known as shape noter originated over seas in scotland

[NJRocks281]

it most definitely did not

[ServusGrueziHallo]

Shape note singing as we know it in America, is from New England, however those settlers in New England brought it over from the old country. So that indeed would be England/Ireland/Scotland.

It migrated from New England southward, as the pioneers and immigrants migrated southward. From New England to Virginian, the Carolinas, then Georgia, Alabama, and then on westward also to Texas. Let us not REVISE and REWRITE history please.

[hotwheelsp]

This is an insult to true shape note singing. I live in Knoxville, if you want to hear what shape note singing should sound like go to the Laurel theater for the Old Harp singers.

[yaesuham]

I sing Sacred Harp, Old Church Hymnal, and seven note style of singing, and other than a few minors, they all are the same type of singing. This happens to be with piano, and not acapella, like Sacred Harp singing, but it still praises God, who gets glory from the singing, be it Sacred Harp, or any other form of singing, including this sweet selection of songs.

[MarthaH605]

@hotwheelsp It's a different tradition, sometimes called New Book or Little Book (i.e., Stamps-Baxter). It's as valid in its way as Sacred Harp, and as much loved by its participants.

[bangwezl]

This is more like Gospel Music, or Convention Music; just because you use shape notes don't mean it's Sacred Harp. The jazz piano accompaniment is funny, and I don't mean funny Ha-Ha, either...

[matt1284508]

Amen!Most people are confusing sacred harp singing with shape note singing.They are not the same thing.Shape note music allows one to change keys with the aid of a given pitch.There are no key signatures(to learn) therefore;making it easier(a lot)to learn.Sacred harp and shape note are not the same so, it probably was used first in Appalachia for popular church hymns.Not sacred harp.

[yaesuham]

I was taught the Seven Note Shaped style of singing from my father, who learned it from his fahter, and on back. And yes, Sacred Harp did go far beyond the civil war. I can teach either version Fa So La or Do Re Mi Its always fun to find a new church that sings but dont know the notes, and after they catch on, here them singing the glad notes of Heavenly Praise right on the key, right on the note. Its so much fun. God bless all of you is my prayer, and Make A Joyful Nose To The Lord !

[gpenton]

Actually the type of shaped note singing found here did originate after the civil war. Sacred Harp singing was much earlier. This is know as Convention Style Shaped Note Singing. The Piano is a VERY big part of Convention style music.....

[ServusGrueziHallo]

No, no, no. The speaker says "shape note singing originated in Appalachia after the civil war". No, no, no. Shaped-note singing originated in New England, NOT appalachia. Sacred Harp tunes were written and composed by folks in New England. And really you can say it originates in the old country, England itself, and was brought here by settlers from England. Get informed and quit revising and rewriting history.

[boscogump]

To be fair to this guy Sacred Harp was *preserved in pocket of the south. But yeah it originated from England.

[clayslaps]

And shapenote singing certainly didn't start "right after the Civil War", it goes back way before then. This is some strange hybrid of barbershop-style gospel music -- it's ended up with some of the trappings of shapenote/Sacred Harp singing, but it's certainly not that.

[ServusGrueziHallo]

Oh my Lord! It's like a mixture of Pentecostal music and Sacred Harp!

[ServusGrueziHallo]

Shape note singing, Sacred Harp, comes originally from New England, not Appalachia. Do some reserach and you'll see.

[Mamasan41]

But Fats Waller would have loved that piano!  It's all good!

[corey949]

NEVER before have I heard piano w/ shape note-sacred harp. Bad idea. I thought it was all about the raw power of the voices making a joyful noise!

[ClaireConrad]

@corey949 Exactly right. Any and every instrument ruins it. IF the songs are from a capella tunebooks, which make the a capella aspect clear, why not observe the original intention?

There are plenty of God-honoring hymns and songs that were *intended* to be accompanied by instruments. Let those be enough.

When and if the songs intended for instrumental accompaniment *are* sung a capella, either it is to show how on-pitch the singers can be or else because no instrument is available.

[jojo216]

this type of singing is much prettier without the piano accompaniment