'HOOD's Notation'; Form of Shape-Note?

Subject: 'HOOD's Notation'; Form of Shape-Note?
From: GUEST,Uncle Jaque the Rejected and Foresaken
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 11:35 PM

I still can't re-activate the "cookies" thing; it keeps telling me it's going to e-mail my PW (won't accept the one I've used here for years) but it never appears. Guess I've been excommunicated or something(?).

Oh well; as long as I can browse, lurk, and post I'll manage somehow.

**************

"Hood's Notation"; Form of Shape - Note?


        Although generally familiar with the "Shape-Note" form of notation, the first time I've seen this sort of marking inside of the note heads to indicate "Do-Re-Mi" intervals was in this 1884 book of Hymns I picked up at a Flea Market recently -

"The QUARTET" ;   (Jno. R. SWENEY, Chaplain M'CABE, T.C. O'KANE, Wm. J. KIRKPATRICK; Philadelphia; John J. HOOD; 1884).

The notation uses conventional note figures, but the note heads are marked inside with "X's", Vertical lines (|), diagonal line Left (\), dot (.) , (<), and diagonal right (/).   The symbol for "Do" seems to alternate, depending (apparently) on the key in which the score is written.

A "Key" to the symbol's position on the scale is usually given on the lower right corner of each score.

Detail; "Hoods Notation" form used in "The Quartet"

Here are links to some scannings of sample pages of "The Quartet":

Pages 36 - 37:

Pages 199-200:


        Now my question is:

        Is this a VARIATION of the "Shape Note" System - a MODIFICATION of same, or a completely independant notation system in itself?

        One clue is that in the Frontspiece of this book, in fine print, is printed:

        "Hoods Notation Copyright 1880".

        Since I have not seen this system in print before, and I collect a fair amount of old Music, it seems to have not been particularly popular.

        Is anyone familiar with this "Hood's Notation"?

Uncle Jaque in Maine

Subject: RE: 'HOOD's Notation'; Form of Shape-Note?
From: Burke
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 12:32 AM

Uncle Jaque, I noticed a notation like just a few days ago when I was poking around American Memory.
Here's the one I found.

I did a keyword search in WorldCat & only turned up 4 uses of "Hood Notation." All books were published by John J. Hood between 1880 & 1884. Sweeny & Kirkpatrick also seem to have been involved with them. Yours did not come up, so while there were more, it was certainly not widespread. I found all 3 on hymnals into the 20th century, but no later mention of special notations of any kind.

Here's the title I found most interesting.
Harmony simplified : text-book of the Harmony Circle : arranged from the Tonic Sol-Fa edition of How to observe harmony.
Author: Curwen, John, Publication: Philadelphia : J.J. Hood, 1882

I didn't find anything in Groves in a quick search. It looks to me as like shape notes, designed to aid in reading the notes. Not so much a modification of, as an idea inspired by the success of shape notes but not very successful. Those inner note markings strike me as awfully hard to make out. I'm not surprised it didn't catch on.

Subject: RE: 'HOOD's Notation'; Form of Shape-Note?
From: GUEST,Uncle Jaque
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 12:44 PM

Thanks for your studious research, Burke.

I just made a longer reply, but when I went to post it it vanished.

It seems that Mudcat does not like me much these days!

I'd like to see that book linking SolFa notation with the Hood system.

SolFa was kind of dying out here by the 18760's, so I wonder if HOOD was trying to update and revive it?

Thanks again -- UJ