A Unique Source of English Tablature from Seventeeth-Century Huddersfield

This article describes a previously undocumented source of English music dating from the middle of the seventeenth century. The musical content comprises four short popular tunes, set to simple bass lines. The significance of the source lies in its notation, which, it is argued, is a unique form of keyboard tablature whose melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic details are largely recoverable. It is also suggested that the music was copied by a learner under the supervision of her music tutor. The music is transcribed and the context of the source explored in relation to the performance and copying cultures of seventeenth-century amateur musicians.