The grounds and rules of musick explained: or, An introduction to the art of singing by note

The Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained, published in Boston in 1721, emerged from a movement in colonial New England to reform the practice of psalmody. Thomas Walter, a young Harvard-educated clergyman, sought to replace the traditional 'lining out' method—where a leader sang a line and the congregation echoed it—with 'singing by note,' a technique requiring musical literacy. His objective was to restore decorum and harmonic precision to church services, which had suffered from inconsistent tempos and varying interpretations over the preceding century.

The volume is notable for its pioneering use of music engraving in the American colonies, featuring plates meticulously prepared by James Franklin, the older brother of Benjamin Franklin. This design choice was both a technical challenge and a pedagogical innovation, as it allowed Walter to present musical notation clearly alongside his instructional text. While the book encountered resistance from traditionalists who viewed formal musical training as a departure from pious simplicity, it became a foundational document in American music education and helped establish the standard for the influential singing school movement.