> WARNING : This is a long email. Please skip it if you are not interested!
>  Thanks!
> If you* are* interested please go slowly, I packed a lot of stuff in here.
>  Whoo-wee!!!!

>  : P

> Hello all... Tom Malone here.

> I was born and raised in Vermont, and learned to sing Sacred Harp both there
> and in Massachusetts, so I can represent, for the sake of this discussion, a
> typical "Northern Singer".

> I think we can all agree that because of where I first learned to sing and
> beat time, my initial learning could hardly be considered traditional.

> Then, four years ago, I went to Camp.

> This was the first year that Hugh McGraw taught rudiments classes for both
> youth and adults.

> Here I heard him say a phrase that he uses in all of his singing schools,
> "We have seven modes of time, three of common, two of triple, and two of
> compound."

> In that moment, I quickly realized that I needed to set aside my previous
> training and "become a beginner" because I, and many other "northern
> singers" who had not sat in singing school before--- didn't even know what a
> "mode of time" was!

> We, "in the North," tend to think of songs as being "in two", "in three", or
> even "in four" -- but none of these labels are correct, without fully
> understanding the seven modes of time.
> The 'modes of time' govern speed, rhythm, length of notes, and the placement
> of accent in every song. They are as follows.

>                          *  Common                 Triple
>  Compound*
> First mode:           *'four over four' *        'three over two'       'six
> over four'*
> Second mode:      '*four over four'         'three over four'       'six
> over eight'*
> Third mode:          *'two over four' *           - - - -
>       - - - -

>       (*The use of the word 'over' can be traced back to the 1844
> rudiments.)

> They are not the same as "meters" as taught in University schools of music
> or music education.  (see the chapter in my dissertation 'Modes of Time are
> not Meters'.**)

> This realization was the beginning of my dissertation project, with the
> hypothesis that many differences between so-called Northern and Southern
> practice could be attributed to difference in awareness of the rudiments as
> 'teaching and learning' rather than as variations due to aural tradition or
> folk-practice.

> ** For example we think that "four four" is a meter, but in Sacred Harp *
> meter* is an aspect of poetry!  e.g. Long meter, short meter, 7's and 6's
> etc.... these are meters.

> In the North, we have no trouble describing four four time as being "in
> two", but it is not in two.  It can't be.

> Only the first mode, (two-two) and the third mode (two-four) of common time
> can be "in two" because the top number tells you 'how many', and the bottom
> number 'what kind" of notes 'or their equivalent' will fill a measure of
> time.  So, no matter how you beat it 'four over four" will continue to have
> four beats time in it.

> Because -- "Four over four" is not a meter at all -- it is actually
> the*second mode of common time
> *.

> A measure of which, contains four beats of musical *time*, indicated with
> two strokes of the hand. The musical beats of one and two are both found on
> the downward stroke, and the musical beats of three and four are on the
> upward stroke, with the hand rising to four in order to complete the
> measure.  I believe Henry and Warren made this point in different ways
> earlier. (see the graphic below, or attached illustration)

> *one      two      three    four*
> down -  down    up    -    up

> This manner of beating four four time differs from what University music and
> music education programs call 'cut-time', in which the half note 'gets the
> beat' -- and is this "in two" -- which might be understood like this:

> *one*      (and)   *two*    (and)
> bottom  rise    top      fall

> The wording of the 1991 rudiments place the beat at "the bottom of the
> stroke" which may appear to describe the latter of these two methods. But
> this widespread practice of beating in 'cut-time' is probably more due to
> the influence of other forms of choral training among newer SH singers over
> the last 20 years than any technical discrepancy in the printed rudiments.
> This reality has gradually given rise to the widespread idea that the second
> mode of common time can and should be beat "in two".

> If you are already exhausted by this email, you can stop here and come back
> later....  : )

> Believe me as a "Northern singer" I had to re-learn all of this over the
> past four years, especially the beating of 'four four time' ---  and the
> fundamental question "where is the one?" (primary accent).

> But in close study with the many of finest teachers of the 1991 book, who
> were mentored and taught by J.E. Kitchens, A.M Cagle, and H.N. McGraw etc.,
> I have come to see that the "down down up up" approach is able to provide
> better accent in the second mode of common time, a fact which the recent
> recordings from Camp can attest to.

> Consider: These three teachers taught and learned from the 1936 Paine Denson
> rudiments, which instruct that the "primary accent comes and is placed on
> the first part of the measure when the hand *starts down* in marking time to
> the right of the measure bar." (emphasis in bold added)

> Each of these thre teachers (Mr. Cagle, H.N. McGraw, Elder Kitchens) had the
> same primary mentor in teaching, and that was Thomas J. Denson.  He
> inititally learned from the B.F. White Rudiments and taught largely from the
> James 1911 rudiments, which describe the placement of the primary accent (or
> one) in nearly the same language retained by Paine Denson.

> I have worked closely with Hugh McGraw on this exact question, and he has
> demonstrated to me numerous times that in four four time, the muscial counts
> of one and two are on the downward stroke, and three and four are on the
> upward stroke. therefore "down-down, up-up" completes a measure of four four
> time.  (again see attached graphic)
> This is not to say that everyone does it this way --  : )

> But then again, if you sing every song extremely fast, then it doesn't
> really matter, because you have essentially shifted permanently into the
> third mode of common time (2/4).  This is one of the main reasons why Mr.
> Jeff Sheppard as been encouraging us to "slow down and feel the accent".
>  When he was quoted in an interview saying that the Northern singers are
> faster than the Southern, some thought he was kidding, but the failure to
> observe the secondary accent because we race through songs in four four time
> is a large part of what he was referring to.  And this is because "in the
> North" we have tended to view all three modes of common time as being, "in
> two".

> BUT - our understanding of modes of time is improving and therefore we in
> the 'cold and frosty North' are learning to accent better in four four time!
> And for learners of all ages to improve gradually by being repeatedly
> exposed to and taken through the rudiments, is traditional!

> J.E. Kitchens, A.M Cagle, and H.N. McGraw were more than just "traditional
> singers," they were teachers of the rudiments.  Sacred Harp is just as much
> a tradition of teaching as it is a tradition of singing.  These three men
> were also the teachers and mentors of the elder generation who teaches at
> Camp Fasola today.

> They have something else in common as well -- each of them were taught how
> "to teach the rudiments" by Mr. Tom Denson.

> Consider that Jeff Sheppard learned to sing mostly from his father, who
> successfully invited Tom Denson to stay at his house and teach -- and he
> stayed and taught for two whole years!

> So, unless you think all of these teachers were beating four four time
> differently than most of us due to a lack of awareness of a better way, and
> that, if they knew better-- they would do it "in two" like us, we should
> consider their practice as more than simply traditional.

> The cognitive dissonance we feel when presented with this 'down-down, up-up'
> approach and the new location of "one" near the middle rather than at the
> bottom of the stroke is simply an improvement of our understanding of the
> second mode of common time.  Or at least the awareness of new possibilities.

> Which is helpful, because it is the most 'common' of all the modes of time,
> and the one we use the most often.

> As noted earlier, the 1936 rudiments tell us "leaders assume a good deal of
> discretion, and vary somewhat in the manner of beating or marking
> time." and *nobody* wants to be told they are doing it wrong, so it is also
> traditional to let each leader decide on their own way to give their lesson,
> without the class unnecessarily correcting or overriding them.  In the
> Sacred Harp we are all teachers, singers, and learners and no one person can
> 'know it all' but we can all make an effort.

> I personally find the illustration in the attachment offers new
> possibilities for personal and regional diversity in accent -- and four
> years into practicing it, I known I still have a long way to go.... but know
> I want to make the effort to improve.

> There is so much more we can learn.... in time, in tune, and in accent.

> Now let's sing!

> Tom Malone

> P.S.  I would be glad to dialogue more 'off-list' with anyone on these 'deep
> water' questions, or by telephone. My number is in the minutes book.

> P.S.S. Yes, I just finished a dissertation on exactly this question. So
> plese orgive the length and throughness of my
> reponse, as well as any typoes or inconsistencies with quotes or
> spacing, I have learned that I am better at content than formatting.

> On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 9:02 PM, Wade Kotter<wadekot...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> > Here's a link to the Mount Pleasant Youtube video:

> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_GSEjbMY64

> > Wade Kotter
> > South Ogden, UT

> > --- On Mon, 7/6/09, John Garst <ga...@chem.uga.edu> wrote:

> >> Warren, is it the MOUNT PLEASANT Youtube video, Mike and
> >> Syd

> ...

> read more »

>  four over four illustration.jpg
> 46KViewDownload