Editing Shape note (section)

== Currently active shape note traditions ==
{{See also|Sacred Harp}}
Although seven-shape books may not be as popular as in the past, there are still a great number of churches in the American South, in particular [[Southern Baptist]]s, [[Primitive Baptists]], almost all of the non-instrumental [[Churches of Christ]], some [[Free Methodist]]s, [[Mennonite]], some [[Amish]], [[United Pentecostal]]s, and [[United Baptist]]s in the Appalachian regions of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky, that regularly use seven-shape songbooks in Sunday worship. These songbooks may contain a variety of songs from 18th-century classics to 20th-century [[gospel music]].  Thus today denominational songbooks printed in seven shapes probably constitute the largest branch of the shape-note tradition.

In addition, [[nondenominational]] community singings are also intermittently held which feature early- to mid-20th century seven-shape gospel music such as [[Stamps-Baxter]] hymnals or ''Heavenly Highway''.<ref>{{cite web|title= Heavenly Highway Hymns|url= http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=75608852&&viewtype=songlist|work= Hymn Book|publisher= Stamps-Baxter/Zondervan|access-date= 11 November 2012|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131213134229/http://www.brentwoodbenson.com/product/viewproduct.do?itemid=75608852&&viewtype=songlist|archive-date= 13 December 2013}}</ref> In these traditions, the custom of "singing the notes" (syllables) is generally preserved only during the learning process at [[singing school]]s and singing may be to an instrumental accompaniment, typically a piano.

The seven-shape system is also still used at regular public singings of 19th-century songbooks of a similar type to the ''[[Sacred Harp]]'', such as ''[[The Christian Harmony]]'' and the ''[[New Harp of Columbia]]''.  Such singings are common in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, and generally preserve the singing school custom of "singing the notes".

The seven-shape (Aikin) system is commonly used by the [[Mennonite]]s and [[Church of the Brethren|Brethren]]. Numerous songbooks are printed in shaped notes for this market.  They include ''Christian Hymnal'',<ref name="Champagne">{{cite web|last= Champagne|first= Josh|title= Christian Music|url= http://joshchampagne.com/music.html|access-date= 11 November 2012|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120911071501/http://www.joshchampagne.com/music.html|archive-date= 11 September 2012}}</ref> the ''[[Christian Hymnary]]'', ''Hymns of the Church'', ''Zion's Praises'',<ref name = "Champagne" /> ''Pilgrim's Praises'', the ''Church Hymnal'',<ref name = "Champagne" /> ''Silver Gems in Song'', ''the Mennonite Hymnal'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hymnary.org/hymnal/MH1969|title=The Mennonite Hymnal &#124; Hymnary.org|website=hymnary.org|accessdate=11 March 2023}}</ref> and ''[[Harmonia Sacra]]''.

Some African-American churches use the seven-shape note system.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fox|first1=Derrick|title=African American Practice of Shape-Note Singing in the United States|journal=Choral Journal|year=2015|volume=56|issue=5|pages=38–51|url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=110720055&site=eds-live&scope=site|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Oak Grove Baptist Church, Elba Alabama, African American 7-shapenote gospel singing 10-11-2003.webm|thumb|Oak Grove Baptist Church, Elba, Alabama, African American 7-shape note gospel singing, 11 October 2003]]

The four-shape tradition that currently has the greatest number of participants is Sacred Harp singing.  But there are many other traditions that are still active or even enjoying a resurgence of interest.  Among the four-shape systems, the ''[[Southern Harmony]]'' has remained in continuous use at one singing in [[Benton, Kentucky]], and is now experiencing a small amount of regrowth.  The current reawakening of interest in shape note singing has also created new singings using other recently moribund 19th-century four-shape songbooks, such as ''The Missouri Harmony'', as well as new books by modern composers, such as the ''Northern Harmony''.<ref>{{cite web | last = Stoddard | title = About | url = http://stoddardfamily.home.comcast.net/~stoddardfamily/1AboutNH.html | work = Hymn Book | publisher = Northern Harmony | access-date = 11 November 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090523145523/http://stoddardfamily.home.comcast.net/~stoddardfamily/1AboutNH.html | archive-date = 23 May 2009 }}</ref> Of a hybrid nature, in terms of reviving [[Ananias Davisson]]'s [[Kentucky Harmony]] but taking the further step of incorporating songs from 70 other early tunebooks, along with new compositions, is the [[Shenandoah Harmony]] (2013).<ref>{{cite web | last = Editors of the ''Shenandoah Harmony'' | title = About Us | url = https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/about-us/ | work = Hymn Book | publisher = The Shenandoah Harmony Publishing Company (Boyce, VA) | access-date = 10 December 2019 | archive-date = 30 July 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210730205949/https://www.shenandoahharmony.com/about-us/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> Thomas B. Malone has specialized in the revival of works by Jeremiah Ingalls, and has published a four-shape edition of Ingalls' 1805 ''The Christian Harmony''.  Malone organizes an annual mid-July singing in Newbury, Vermont, where Ingalls was a tavern-keeper and musician between 1789 and 1810.