GAMUT
THE GAMUT, 1788-1810
Gamuts-brief pamphlets explaining the rudiments of music and usually supplying blank staves on which music could be copied were published for American singing schools of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Though they did not customarily contain music, they belong to the tradition of psalmody described in this bibliography.
The various items called The Gamut are similar in format if not origin. They are treated here as different editions of the same work, even though they were issued by different publishers but because, rather than a standard bibliographical title, a gamut was a pedagogical genre, edition numbers are omitted. Their small size and the unlikelihood of their being bound in boards made gamuts highly perishable. Moreover, publishers were apt to keep them in print for a long time, making undated issues difficult to date. Finally, their size and content made gamuts simple and cheap to run off. The present list covers those known to survive or for which written documentation can be found.
The Gamut, [1788]
ASMI 198
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Hartford: N. Patten, 1788.]
Connecticut Courant, 11 Feb. 1788, advertises Gamut as 'just published & now selling' at '4d single and 3s per dozen.'
E21103 (no copy on Readex). No copy located.
The Gamut, [1790]
ASMI 199
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Albany: Webster, 1790.] Albany Gazette, 8 April 1790, advertises Gamut for sale.
Not in Evans. No copy located.
The Gamut, [1790-93]
ASMI 200
The Gamut: or, Scale of Music, for the use of schools. Albany: printed by Charles R. & George Webster, No. 46, north side of State-Street, corner of Middle-Lane. Where printing, in general is performed with expedition and on reasonable terms.
[6] p., 151. 10 x 20 cm.
[1790-93.] According to McMurtrie 1939, the printers occupied this address beginning in 1790 (p. 24) and extending through 1793 (p. 34). By 1794 they had moved to 2 Pearl Street (p. 36). 1 p. [1], t-p.; p. [2], 'General Observations'; p. [3]-[5], rudiments; p. [6], 'Of Tuning and Forming the Voice'; 1. 1-15, blank staves.
No music.
Not in Evans (no copy on Readex). NRU-Mus*.
The Gamut, [1793]
ASMI 201
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Norwich: J. Trumbull, 1793.] Norwich Packet, 17 Jan. 1793, advertises Gamut for sale.
E25525 (no copy on Readex). No copy located.
The Gamut, 1795, [No. 1]
ASAMI 202
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Albany: C.R. and G. Webster, 1795.] Albany Gazette, 20 April 1795, advertises Gamut for sale.
E28724 (no copy on Readex). No copy located; however, see No. 200 above and No. 212 below for description of issues by same printers.
The Gamut, [1795, No. 1]
ASMI 203
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Norwich: J. Trumbull, 1795.]
Norwich Packet, 8 Jan. 1795, advertises Gamut for sale.
E28725 (no copy on Readex). No copy located.
The Gamut, 1796, [No. 1]
ASMI 204
The Gamut, or Scale of Music: containing, in a plain, easy, and comprehensive manner, the rules of singing. Collected from different authors, and amended-with some small additions. By Joseph Tenney. From the press of Alden Spooner. 1796.
5 p., 51.18 x 20 cm.
Windsor Vermont Journal, 4 Nov. 1796, advertises work as just published. Spooner was located in Windsor.
E47621 (dated 1795; no copy on Readex). VtHi copy described in McCorison 1968, No. 358; copy described as 'not located 1968' by Bristol 1970.
The Gamut, 1796, [No. 2]
ASMI 205
The Gamut; or, Scale of Music, for the use of schools. Lansingburgh: printed and sold, by Luther Pratt, & Co. King-street, directly opposite the City-Hotel; where printing is per-formed with neatness and dispatch, on reasonable terms. 1796.
[2] p., 311. 10 x 21 cm.
P. [1], t-p.; p. [2], 'General Observations'; 1. 1-30, blank staves; 1. 31 blank.
No music.
E47432 (N). N*.
The Gamut, [1797]
ASMI 206
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Troy: L. Pratt, 1797.]
Troy Farmer's Oracle, 14 March 1797, advertises The Gamut for sale.
E32173 (no copy on Readex). No copy positively located, but N copy, described above as No. 205, may be the issue advertised.
The Gamut, [1798]
ASMI 207
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Greenfield: T. Dickman, 1798.]
Greenfield Gazette, 18 Feb. 1798, advertises The Gamut for sale.
E33778 (no copy on Readex). No copy located.
The Gamut, [1799]
ASMI 208
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Lansingburgh: G. Tracy, 1799.]
Lansingburgh Gazette, 15 Jan. 1799, advertises The Gamut for sale.
E35532 (no copy on Readex). No copy located.
A Gamut, [1800]
ASMI 209
A Gamut, containing the rudiments of music. Staunton: printed by M'Arthur & Courtney. Opposite Mr. James Edmondson's Tavern.
[4] p., 31. 11.5 x 18.5 cm.
[1800.] The partnership of John M'Arthur and John Courtney seems to have been formed in 1800, when the two began in January to print the Staunton Political Mirror, a newspaper. Before the end of the year the partnership was apparently dissolved, for Brigham 1947, p. 1156, names M'Arthur as sole printer of the paper 'later in 1800. p. [1], t-p.; p. [2]-[4], rudiments of music; 1. 1-3 blank.
No music.
Not in Evans (no copy on Readex). NjPT* (1st 2 1. have ms music).
A Gamut, [1804]
ASMI 210
[A Gamut, or a plain and concise introduction to psalmody, fitly calculated for the use of
singing schools. Middlebury: Huntington & Fitch, 1804.]
Middlebury Mercury, 21 March 1804, advertises a Gamut for sale.
Not in Shaw-Shoemaker. No copy located; described in McCorison 1968, No. 737.
The Gamut, [1804?]
ASMI 211
The Gamut; or, Scale of Music, intended principally for the use of schools. Printed and sold by A. Stoddard, Hudson:-where may be had a general assortment of books and stationary.
[6] p. 10.5 x 18 cm.
[1804?] '1804 Ishmael Spicer,' pencil inscription on t-p. of only copy located, but when that was written is not known. p. [1], t-p.; p. [2], 'General Observations'; p. [3]-[5], rudiments of music; p. [6], 'Of Tuning and Forming the Voice.'
No music.
Not in Evans or Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). MiU-C*.
NOTE: The only copy is bound at the front of an undated manuscript tunebook belonging to Ishmail Spicer (q.v.). When first issued, it probably had several leaves of blank staves, or several blank leaves, following the rules.
The Gamut, [1806?]
ASMI 212
The Gamut: or, Scale of Music, for the use of schools. Albany: printed by Charles R. & George Webster, at their bookstore, in the White House, corner of State and Pearl Streets; where printing and bookbinding are carried on in an extensive manner.
[6] p., 131.110 x 20 cm.
[1806?] MWA copy has written on fly-leaf inside front cover the date of 22 March 1806; the work may have been issued well before that time, however. 1 p. [1], t-p.; p. [2], 'General Observations'; p. [3]-[5], rudiments; p. [6], 'Of Tuning and Forming the Voice'; 1. 1-13, blank staves.
No music.
Not in Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). DLC, MWA*.
The Gamut, [1806]
ASMI 213
[The Gamut, or Scale of Music, by William Ward. Utica: A. Seward, 1806.]
Utica Patriot, 21 Oct. 1806, advertises Gamut for sale.
S11794 (no copy on Readex). No copies located.
A Gamut, 1807
ASMI 214
A Gamut, or Scale of Music. To which is added, blank lines for favorite music. Hartford: published and sold by Oliver D. Cooke. Graves and Clap, printers, Northampton, Massachusetts.-1807.
32 p., 7 1.18.5 x 24 cm.
P. [i], t-p.; p. ii-vi, rudiments; p. vii, 'Lessons For Tuning The Voice'; p. [viii], 'Index'; p. 9-32, music; 1. 1-7, blank staves.
20 compositions for 4 voices; full text. No attribs. No 1st pr. identified. 15 compo-sitions traced to Americans [BRIDGEWATER, BROOKFIELD, GEORGIA, HARTFORD, PSALM 25], 15 to non-Americans.
15 Core Repertory.
S12642 (MWA). CSmH, CtY (2), DLC, MWA*, MiU-C, NBuG, NN (cataloged as 1805), RPB.
NOTE: The number of blank leaves varies between copies. S8501 lists The Gamut, or Scale of Music. Hartford: O. D. Cooke, 1805; copy in NN. A close examination of the copy shows it to be No. 214.
The Gamut, 1810
ASMI 215
The Gamut, or Scale of Music. For the use of schools. Otsego, printed by H. & E. Phinney, Jun, and sold by them wholesale and retail. 1810.
[8] p., 141.1 10.5 x 20 cm.
P. [1], t-p.; p. [2] blank; p. [3]-[7], 'Grounds of Music'; p. [8], 'General Observations'; 1. 1-14 blank.
No music.
Not in Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). MWA*.
The Gamut, [1807-12]
ASMI 216
The Gamut, or Scale of Music. For the use of Schools. Otsego, printed by H. & E. Phinney, Jun, and sold by them wholesale and retail.
[8] p., 141.1 10.5 x 21 cm.
1807-12 are the years the firm H. & E. Phinney Jr. operated in Otsego, hence fixing the period in which their undated issue of The Gamut was published. p. [1], t-p.; p. [2] blank; p. [3]-[7], 'Grounds of Music'; p. [8], 'General Observations'; 1. 1-14, blank staves.
No music.
Not in Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). MWA*.
The Gamut, [1786-1814]
ASMI 217
The Gamut; or, Scale of Music. For the use of schools. Hudson: printed by Ashbel Stoddard; where printing in general, is performed with expedition and on reasonable terms.
[4]? p., 441. Copy is incomplete; p. [3]-[4] is badly mutilated.
1786-1814 are the years Ashbel Stoddard worked as a printer and bookseller in Hudson, hence fixing the period in which his undated issue of The Gamut was published. P. [1], t-p.; p. [2], rudiments; only stub of next p. remains; 1. 1-44, manuscript music.
Not in Evans or Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). Copy in DLC*.
A Gamut, [n.d.]
ASMI 218
A Gamut: or, Brief Introduction to the Grounds of Music. - By Levi Redfield.
[4] p., 21.18 x 19.5 cm.
P. [1], caption title; p. [1]-[4], rudiments & instructions; 1st & 2d l., recto & verso, blank staves.
Not in Evans or Shaw-Shoemaker (no copy on Readex). MWA*.
NOTE: S20180 lists "The Gamut, or Scale of Music" as an 1810 imprint. In the absence of information about publisher or place, this citation receives no separate entry here.
The following issues of The Gamut appeared after 1810:
A Gamut, or Scale of Music (Hartford: Oliver D. Cooke; Samuel Green, printer, 1811).
—--(Cooperstown: H. & E. Phinney, 1814).
—--(Hartford: Oliver D. Cooke; Samuel Green, printer, 1816).
—--(Utica: Seward and Williams, 1815).
—--(Hartford: Cooke & Hale; Samuel Green, printer, 1816).
Another later issue was Alling Brown, The Gamut, or Scale of Music (New Haven, 1823).
ASMI pp.281-287.