How to Swap Tunes (on Paper for Singing)

This may be obvious to trained musicians, but nobody told it to me. It may be easier with older music and older hymnals (I grew up in a '50s time warp), since modern music tends to use new rhythms with new songs. (I have read that Isaac Watts, writing hymns in the early A.D.1700s, used only three rhythms in all the hymns he wrote. "Joy to the World, the Lord is come" is one of Watt's bigger hits.)

--Many hymnals have a "metrical index," which tells you the "meter" (rhythm) of each tune used, the number of syllables in each line. If you dislike or don't know a tune, you MAY be able to use a different tune of the same meter. For example, many "C.M." (Common Meter) tunes can be sung using the tune of "Amazing Grace" (or "Gilligan's Island.") Sometimes each page in a hymnbook gives the meter of the tune on that page. (Be sure to TRY OUT a different tune BEFORE asking a whole church to sing it!)

A fairly good musician may be able to compose new tunes--James Ward, for instance, has done this for "Rock of Ages" (whose meter is 7.7.7.7.7.7, six lines each of seven syllables; I THINK Jim's website is www.jameswardmusic.com; I KNOW he's chief musician at www.newcityfellowship.com).

Newer music tends to use new meters for each song, but new words can be put to popular tunes. Martin Luther did some of this in the A.D. 1500s. Churches inspired by Gene Edwards (www.geneedwards.com) do some of it now. I'm not sure of copyright complications this might get you into.

--Here's a list of tunes for a few widely used meters:

---Short Meter Double (SMD): 6,6,8,6; 6,6,8,6 syllables per line

Make me a captive, Lord
Crown Him with many crowns

--Common Meter (CM): 8,6,8,6 syllables per line

Am I a soldier of the cross?
O for a thousand tongues to sing (James Ward has a mod tune for this)
Amazing Grace (I've heard this sung to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun")

--Common Meter Double (CMD): 8,6,8,6 twice

The Son of God goes forth to war
There is a fountain filled with blood

--Long Meter (LM): 8,8,8,8, syllables per line

Doxology
When I survey the wondrous cross

--8,7,8,7 Double (= twice: 8787D)

Glorious things of thee are spoken
All the way my Savior leads me

(This is extracted from my website, www.lohr84.com, from the section on psalm-singing, and edited a bit here.)