On Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 4:09 PM, Thomas Malone <shapen...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Ok, I still can't seem to get this table formatted to line up right.
> And clearly, the first mode of common should have been 'two over two'. See
> rudiments on pg. 15

> As you can all see I am better at singing and teaching  than I am with
> computers.

> Here it is in text, and if this doesn't work I'll try it again as an
> separate attachment.

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

**
> Third mode:          *'two over four' *           - - - -
>         - - - -

> Nothing worth doing well is easy, I guess..... but those who have ears,
> will hear,
> even with my keystroke errors.

> Thanks for your patience.

> Tom M

> On Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 3:14 PM, Tom Malone <shapen...@gmail.com> wrote:

>> The table of the seven modes of time was a little compressed in my
>> earlier post, with one glaring keystroke error, (thanks Chris N.)

>> Here it is more clearly laid out.

>> ** Seven Modes of Time in the Sacred Harp Rudiments:  1844 to present

>>                              Common
>> Triple                    Compound
>> first mode:             'two over two'   'three over two'    'six over
>> four'
>> second mode:       'four over four'  'three over four'   'six over
>> eight'
>> third mode:            'two over four'      - - - -
>> - - - -

>> Tom M

>> On Jul 8, 12:40 pm, Thomas Malone <shapen...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > 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

> --
> Dr. Thomas B. Malone
> Molloy College
> www.SingIngalls.org