Hank Brainard
Region: US
Tuesday 18 August 2026 16:00:00 GMT
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Miranda :
I’ve lived in Appalachia all my life and never realized this wasn’t something everyone grew up hearing in church
2026-08-18 16:34:49
3617
capndangerbeard :
Ive long since deconstructed from my religious roots, but some hymns like Idumea always gives me chills.
2026-08-19 00:53:28
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angogoblogian :
Grew up in a Church of Christ singing a cappella in Appalachia. Didn’t know we were shape note singing and never paid attention to “reading music.” None of us had any musical talent or taught me anything about singer. I think we all just copied each other’s way of singing, which meant copying the way their own parents and grandparents sang.
2026-08-19 00:06:51
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TrippyCannabis :
If you grew up singing/listening to bluegrass gospel this comes as 2nd nature
2026-08-19 21:51:00
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kaia :)) :
as a black appalachian, i was never handed any guide or sheet music. you just listened and sang along until you found the part that was easiest for you to sing and somehow there was always this beautiful balance.
2026-08-22 07:33:44
156
Jacq :
I grew up singing from shape notes at an a capella Church of Christ in Oklahoma, cool stuff! they still use shape notes today in the "red hymnal"
2026-08-19 03:52:16
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kar :
i just realized the hymn books in my childhood church were written in shape note, but we never used the shapes or knew what they meant. but many people still sang with that twangy harmony
2026-08-19 00:16:37
291
✨it’s all just a ride✨ :
Ugh I love Appalachia. I moved away 6 years ago. I am trying so hard to keep my kids accent, my accent and my culture alive😭 I’m so afraid to lose my accent. Thank you for making this!!!!!
2026-08-18 18:58:50
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the timekeepers 🌈♾️ MDNF 🕥 :
wait did most people not grow up doing this??
2026-08-18 23:05:12
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Delaney Obraztsova :
just real quick as a sacred harp singer, we use a 4 shape system that goes fa sol la fa sol la mi fa of course this doesn't account for all shape note singing but you won't find do re mi at a sacred harp singing.
2026-08-18 19:51:05
156
🎶Laura | folk music history🎶 :
YEEEEESSS! Spread the good Shape Note word!
2026-08-18 20:17:46
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Anarchishea :
I have an old hymnal of shape notes. I felt so nerdcool learning how to read it when I was a teenager.
2026-08-19 01:44:06
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Eloi🗣️ :
Church
2026-09-01 20:56:41
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👽🌸Lola🌸👽 :
Pronounced “sol fedge” -former band nerd, current rural KY resident
2026-08-18 18:54:31
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Laguna L 🇵🇸❤️ :
I’m not remotely religious but these songs with the shape note singing is beautiful!
2026-08-31 02:39:48
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user99543018529 :
I did my senior thesis on shape note (or Sacred Harp) singing. Got to be in the center of the square at a sing. What I love the most about it is the way it is focused on the singer’s experience rather than the hearer - not a performance in the western tradition, but a communal experience.
2026-08-19 03:54:38
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laura_tries :
also! instruments aren’t needed. typically a singing session starts with a leader singing a shape note and everyone echos it back to “tune” to that note. but that specific tone could be different every time. this enabled rural communities who couldn’t afford pianos or other instruments to still sing in harmony with each other.
2026-08-27 01:28:43
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joshua dysgu cymraeg :
where did the carter family learn to sing like this? church.
2026-08-29 01:45:16
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TheMarblePillar :
A lot of Appalachian folk signing is just leftovers from English/scot-irish culture that’s is forgotten in the isles today
2026-08-28 12:41:41
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🍇🚜🍷 :
Very interesting! Never heard of shape note singing before. In choir when sight-reading we’d use hand signs.
2026-08-19 06:01:03
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Rovi :
Ive always just called this church singing ive lived in Appalachia all my life and was raised in the church when i was young so i can always hear this type of singing but never knew what it was outside church
2026-08-18 21:28:51
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YodaMom429 :
I also think growing up in Appalachia we were just taught to harmonize. I never knew about 4 part harmony until I got to middle school chorus, but singing in church and with my family around the house we just did it.
2026-08-19 13:00:28
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klefferman913 :
My grandmother has "mountain cousins" who lived in the mountains of Arkansas (foothills of the Ouchitas in Mena,Arkansas). Every single one plays at least one instrument (all self taught) and harmonize like this. They never owned a TV, don't have electricity, live totally off grid (and fondly remember they had pet deer that followed them like a puppy). They had sing alongs like this....mostly hymns. My fondest childhood memories spent visiting them.
2026-08-27 18:00:32
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remiiiii 🍉 :
the church I grew up in had shape notes in their hymnals :) not everyone in their congregation knows how to read sheet music, but they still all sing in harmony with each other, its pretty cool
2026-08-20 06:09:24
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moe🩵 :
this is every church in Appalachia 🥰❤️
2026-08-26 20:31:45
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