Long Meter (L.M.) consists of a four line stanza in which each line is of eight syllables, e.g.,
| Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; | (8) |
| Praise Him, all creatures here below; | (8) |
| Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; | (8) |
| Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. | (8) |
Long Meter Double (L.M.D.), not often used, consists of a stanza of eight lines, each line of eight syllables, e.g.,
“The spacious firmament on high.” ([50])
Accentuation
In setting a hymn to music it is important that the accented syllables of the poetry fall on the accented beats of the musical bars. Try singing “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling” ([456]) to the tune “Ich weiss einen Strom” ([232]). The meter is the same in each case—11.7.11.7.—with refrain—but the words and tune are obviously not suited to each other because of differences in accentuation.
18. Hymn Tunes.
[a. What is a good tune?] [b. Importance of tunes.] [c. Composers of tunes.] [d. Sources of tunes.] [e. Tune names.]
a. What is a good tune?
The quality of a tune must be judged by its definite and restricted use. It is to be sung by a congregation of people, the majority of whom have had only limited musical training, and without benefit of rehearsal. The tune must therefore be judged by such questions as these: Is it singable? Are the parts within easy pitch range of the voices? Is it free from difficult intervals or modulations into other keys? Is it interesting? Does it create a worshipful atmosphere? Does the mood of the tune fit the mood and thought of the words?