TOOLS: Shape-Note Tunebook Master Work Codes

Making my own research tools.

This post is the canonical reference list of Work Codes used throughout this bibliography. It was the first post on the blog, written before much of the surrounding framework existed, and it remains the master index. If you are not yet familiar with what a Work Code is or how it functions within the project, the Shape-Note Tunebook Identification System post is the place to start; it explains the three-layer structure (Work Code + Edition Year + Variant Nickname), the coding guidelines, and the rationale behind individual codes. The Bibliographical Terminology post establishes the vocabulary the codes describe — work, edition, branch, state, and the tunebook / tunebooklet distinction.

The short version: shape-note bibliography is a mess. Titles repeat, editions fork, compilers revise each other’s work, and tunebooks with almost identical names can belong to completely different lineages. A Work Code gives each tunebook a stable, unambiguous label that stays constant across editions, revisions, regional variants, and digital transcriptions. It points to a tunebook as a work, not to a physical copy or a particular printing state. The system is what lets me track lineages, compare sources, catalog my own collection, and build tools that make larger-scale research possible.

This list is currently limited to four-shape shape-note tunebooks. Seven-shape tunebooks are out of scope, though a small number may have inadvertently made it in. Entries have been compiled from various sources and not every item has been verified directly; corrections are welcome.

Using the list. The table below is interactive. The upper-right corner shows the current page (e.g., “Page 1 of 3”) with an arrow to advance. You can also search the list and sort by any column.

Modification history:

05/23/26 - Changed The Northern Harmony from NtH to NoH