The Hymn Tune Index allows you to search directly for a tune by the tune's number, name, or incipit (opening notes). Tunes full form is presented in numerical music code (but without rhythm indications), often with comments including the composer’s name (if known). You may find that there are variant versions of the tunes. To get a chronological list of citations (printings) of the tunes, use the checkboxes to select tunes, then click on the Submit button of the Find Citations form at the bottom of this page.
- The table shows all the tunes in any printed source up to 1820. You may wish to check the details of the tunes in the Description column to see which one(s) you are looking for.
- The numerical music code gives each line (phrase) of the tune, with 1 representing do, 2 for re, and so on. 0 is used for a syllable of the text that is not sung by the tune-carrying voice (it will be sung by other voices). The lines are separated by dashes. D means jump down one octave, U means jump up one octave. Numbers in parentheses ( ) are additional notes sung to the same syllable as the note before the parentheses. Portions in square brackets [ ] are notes sung to repeated words of the hymn text.
- Meter: the number of syllables of text in each line of the tune. “0” refers to a line with only repeated text (represented by [ ] in the numerical music code).
- Mode: major or minor (defined by the 3rd scale degree alone).
- Number of citations (and the number in prototype sources — that is, sources with a new tune selection decided on by the editor or publisher, as opposed to derivative sources which have identical tune content to an earlier prototype source).
- There may be a footnote to the tune, giving the composer’s name (if well supported by evidence in the editors’ opinion), references to other tune indexes, or additional information of various kinds. For abbreviations used in these footnotes, see the List of Abbreviations.
- If you already know the tune's HTI number, search:
- Find tunes where the - HTI Tune Number - starts with - (give the number)
- If you know the tune's number in the Frost, Zahn, or Pidoux catalogs, this can be converted to the HTI number.
- If you know a name for the tune, try this approach:
- Find tunes where the - Tune Name - contains - (give several CONSECUTIVE letters or numbers)
- Some names have been standardized; for example:
- Psalm xxiii becomes Ps. 23
- Old 100th becomes Ps. 100, Old
- Saint James becomes St. James
- In all cases, there is just one space after any punctuation.
- If you know how the tune begins, search:
- Find tunes where the - Incipit - starts with - (first few CONSECUTIVE notes, preferably at least 8), in numerical music code.
- Tunes are coded as follows: 1 for do, 2 for re, 3 for mi, etc. (Use 1 for the tonic, or first note of the scale, in both major and minor.) Ignore rhythm, accidentals, grace notes, and octave registers.
- For help with the tune coding method, go to the Tutorial.
- One or more of the tunes displayed may have a different incipit from the one you typed. This will be either a variant version of the tune, or a tune of which your incipit was a 'descant' or inner harmonic part.
