Hymn Meter Explanations and Information
“Hymn meter” is the pattern of syllables and stress in the text of a hymn. The meter designations in hymn books relate to the syllables, meter, or “feet” of the poetry. A hymn of a certain meter (Common Meter = C. M., for example) can be sung with any tune of that same meter. Knowing the metrical symbols and matching hymns to tunes are knowledge and skills needed for hymn-book singing.
Alphabetical Metrical Designations
C. M. – Common Meter; a quatrain (four-line stanza) with alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter, which usually rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third (8/6/8/6); also called Ballad Meter in other contexts. Iambic is one short or unaccented syllable followed by one long or accented syllable.
C. M. E. – Common Meter Extended; a five-line stanza in which most commonly the first, third, and fourth lines rhyme, and the second and fifth lines rhyme. C. M. E. is like C. M. except that it is “extended” with an extra line of 8 syllables (8/6/8/8/6).
C. P. M. – Common Particular Meter; a six-line stanza of which the first, second, fourth and fifth lines are iambic tetrameter, and the third and sixth lines are iambic trimeter (8/8/6/8/8/6).
D. – Doubled; indicates an eight-line stanza instead of four, as in C. M. D. or D. C. M. – Common Meter Doubled or Doubled Common Meter (8/6/8/6/8/6/8/6).
H. M. – Hallelujah Meter; a six-line stanza of which the first four lines are trimeter and the last two are tetrameter, which rhymes most often in the second and fourth lines and the fifth and sixth lines (6/6/6/6/8/8). At times this may be instead listed as (6/6/6/6/4/4/4/4).
L. M. – Long Meter; a quatrain (four-line stanza) in iambic tetrameter, which usually rhymes in the second and fourth lines and often in the first and third (8/8/8/8).
L. P. M. – Long Particular Meter; a six-line stanza of iambic tetrameter (8/8/8/8/8/8).
M. T. (or 12s.) – Meter Twelves; a quatrain in anapestic hexameter (12/12/12/12). Anapestic is two short syllables followed by one long syllable.[i]
P. M. – Particular Meter, Peculiar Meter; Psalm Meter; sometimes may stand for Psalm Meter (but this is more commonly known as 8s. 7s.); it usually means Particular Meter, or Peculiar Meter (these two indicating poetry with its own particular, peculiar, or non-standard, meter).[ii]
S. M. – Short Meter; iambic lines in the first, second, and fourth are in trimeter, and the third in tetrameter, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third (6/6/8/6).
S. P. M. – Short Particular Meter; a six-line stanza of which the first, second, fourth and fifth lines are iambic trimeter, and the third and sixth lines are iambic tetrameter (6/6/8/6/6/8).
T. – Tripled; indicates a twelve-line stanza instead of four, as in L. M. T. – Long Meter Tripled (8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8). See Westford/Vain World Be Gone in The Sacred Harp. (“Tripled” is not very common.)
With Refrain – The hymn meter designation may be followed by the words “with refrain” – indicating a repeating refrain or chorus that does not follow the metrical pattern of the hymn itself. Similar designations are “With allelulias” and “With amens” indicating “allelulias” or “amen(s)” added to the end of the hymn.
Numerical Metrical Designations
7s. 6s. – Sevens and sixes; a quatrain with alternating lines of three and one-half feet and three feet, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third (7/6/7/6).
8s. 7s. 4s. – Eights, sevens and fours; a six-line stanza with alternating syllables of 8, 7, 8, 7, 4, and 7 (8/7/8/7/4/7). In practice (in singing) the four-syllable line is often repeated to create a line of eight syllables, and also the last two lines repeated. This enables the 8s. 7s. 4s. meter hymn to be sung with a doubled 8s. 7s. meter tune.
8s. 7s. – Eights and sevens; a trochaic quatrain with alternating lines of four feet and three and one-half feet, which rhymes in the second and fourth lines and sometimes in the first and third (8/7/8/7); also called Psalm Meter. Trochaic is one long syllable followed by one short syllable.
8s. – Eights; used to distinguish an eight-syllable quatrain that does not contain the iambic stress pattern characteristic of Long Meter (8/8/8/8).
11s. – Elevens; used to distinguish an eleven-syllable quatrain (usually anapestic, which may rhyme in either the first and second, third and fourth lines, or first and third, second and fourth (11/11/11/11).
12s. 11s. – Twelves and elevens. A four-line stanza with alternating lines of twelve syllables and eleven syllables (12/11/12/11).
12s. – Twelves; see “M. T.” above.
Summary
The more common designations (C. M., L. M., S. M.) are almost universally standard across hymn books. “Common Meter” is what it appears to be – the most common hymn meter used in English hymnody. In relation: (1) “Long Meter” is longer than “Common Meter” in its second and fourth lines; (2) “Short Meter is shorter than “Common Meter” in its first line. Some designations vary by editors, geography, and time periods. For example, William Gadsby’s A Selection of Hymns, for Public Worship includes the following designations: 104th for the 10.10.11.11 pattern; 112th for L. P. M.; 122nd for S. P. M.; and 148th for H. M. These metrical patterns were related to old psalm tunes. H. M. (6.6.6.6.8.8.) was the meter for the Old Version Psalm 148, and so, often 148th was used to identify this pattern. The same sort of history applies to the designations 104th, 112th, and 122nd. Some hymn-meter variations made by editors may intend to encompass rhyme patterns as well, but rhyme patterns (though often prevalent in a certain way) are not inherent in hymn meter designations.
Most of the numerical meter designations are fairly intuitive (the number equals the number of syllables per line). 10s has ten syllables per line; 9s has nine. Some are not as intuitive, however. For example, many books use the label 8.7.4. The actual pattern of the hymn is 8.7.8.7.4.7. An almost endless combination of numerical designations of meter could be assembled.
Both syllables and stress must be accounted for; but at the most basic level meter involves counting the number of syllables in a line of poetry. Amazing Grace is Common Meter: “A-ma-zing grace how sweet the sound” is 8 syllables; “That sav’d a wretch like me” is 6 syllables; “I once was lost but now am found” is 8 syllables; and “Was blind but now I see” is 6 syllables. Every Common Meter hymn and tune will follow that same pattern. If C. M. is written as C. M. D., or L. M. as L. M. D., etc., then that means the tune has enough music to sing two stanzas of a hymn instead of just one.
For another example, if you find a hymn labeled “11s”, a tune paired with the words “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord” will likely work for singing that hymn.
Although any hymn of a particular meter can be sung with any tune of that same meter, the music of a particular song does not always seem fitting in mood for every hymn – even though it might work metrically. Also, the same number of syllables with different stress patterns will not fit well with the same tune. For example, compare “When I survey the wondrous cross” (Hamburg) with “How tedious and tasteless the hours” (Greenfields). They have the same number of syllables but different stress patterns.
In metrical hymn singing, there are tunes that have been passed down and have not been written down (or at least not in the forms in which they are sung). Songs from The Sacred Harp are good sources for tunes to set with the metrical hymns. Additionally, many hymnals will have a “Metrical Index” by which tunes may be found according to the meter in which they are written.
May the Lord bless this to be useful to someone.
Compiled by Robert Vaughn, initially in September 2006, with recent revisions and additions. Gathered from many sources over many years, so that little of what you read is original with me.
[i] Dactylic feet/stress is the reverse of Anapestic, having one long accented syllable followed by two short syllables, and might be found in some hymns.
[ii] “Irregular” or “Irr.” seems to now be the more commonly preferred designation rather than “P. M.” for lines and/or meters that are not standard. On occasion “P. M.” seems to be used in place of multiplying the number of designations in a hymn book. For example, I have seen “P. M.” used in place of “H. M.” (6/6/6/6/8/8). The Psalter (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1912/1927) includes two alphabetical metrical designations I have not commonly found – Common Hallelujah Meter (C. H. M., 8/6/8/6/8/8) and Long Hallelujah Meter (L. H. M., 8/8/8/6/8/6).
