[Music]. Walter, Thomas. The Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained. Boston, 1746

[MUSIC]

THOMAS WALTER. THE GROUNDS AND RULES OF MUSICK EXPLAINED: OR, AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF SINGING BY NOTE. FITTED TO THE MEANEST CAPACITIES. BOSTON: PRINTED BY SAMUEL GERRISH, 1746

Oblong 24mo (4 x 6 1/8 mm; 102 x 155 mm). 16 engraved plates of music, 9 pp contemporary manuscript music; some browning and thumb-soiling, slight paper loss to a couple of manuscript leaves. Contemporary paneled vellum; worn, notations and clipping affixed to pastedowns and preliminaries.

An important and influential early American tune book for nascent singing schools. Thomas Walter was a brilliant Boston minister and musician, grandson of Increase Mather and nephew of Cotton Mather. With this book, Walter hoped to improve congregational singing by teaching people to read music.

Rare. ESTC locates 15 copies, but some are incomplete. "These books must have been worn out in service for there are few American books of the period of which it is more difficult to find a complete copy" Matt B. Jones.

LITERATURE:

Britton, American Sacred Music Imprints 519; Evans 5878; Matt B. Jones, Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained' pp. 8–9; Macdougal, Early New England Psalmody pp. 39, 42–43, etc.; Metcalf. American Psalmody p. 51; Sabin 101196

PROVENANCE:

Mary Burley (signature dates 1757 on title) — Mary Thurburn (signatures on preliminary leaves)