Why Doth the Man of Riches Grow in Tonic Solfa

The solfa line by line

The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.

Staff notation

The melody on the treble staff in Eb major, with the first verse under the notes.

The words

How to sing it from the solfa

• Find doh first. Play or hum Eb and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
• Pitch the first note. The tune starts on s (B♭), on the word “Why”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
• Count the time. 4/4 means four crotchet beats in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
• Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l t. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.

New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.

About the hymn

Isaac Watts wrote these words for The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament (1719): Psalm 49, part 1, headed “Pride and death; or, The vanity of life and riches”.

Watts' psalms were printed without tunes and sung to any tune of their metre, Common Metre (8.6.8.6). This page sets the words to ST. PETER; any other Common Metre tune fits them as well.

• Words (1719): Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
• Music (1826): Alexander R. Reinagle (died undefined)

Tune ST. PETER by Alexander R. Reinagle (died undefined); words by Isaac Watts (1674–1748).

Sung to the same tune: 'Tis by Thy Strength the Mountains Stand, 'Tis Not the Law of Ten Commands, "My Barns Are Full, My Stores Increase, "Save Me, O God, the Swelling Floods, "These Glorious Minds, How Bright They Shine, Almighty God, in Humble Prayer, Awake, Ye Saints; to Praise Your King, Behold the Love, the Generous Love, Behold the Saviour on the Cross, Behold Thy Waiting Servant, Lord, Bereft of All, When Hopeless Care, Bless'd with the Joy of Innocence, Blest Is the Man Who Fears the Lord, Bright Was the Guiding Star That Led, But Few Among the Carnal Wise, Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire, Come, Let Us, Who in Christ Believe, Come, O My God, the Promise Seal, Come, Thou Omniscient Son of Man, Dear Lord Accept a Sinful Heart, Death May Dissolve My Body Now, Eternal Source of Life and Light, Faith Adds New Charms to Earthly Bliss, Far from the World, O Lord, I Flee, Father of All, in Whom Alone, Father of Mercies, God of Love, Father, How Wide Thy Glory Shines, Father, United by Thy Grace, For Mercies, Countless as the Sands, Fountain of Life, and God of Love, Furnish Us All with Light and Pow'rs, Great God, I Own Thy Sentence Just, Happy the Birth Where Grace Presides, His Master Taken from His Head, Hosanna to the Royal Son, How Blest Is He, Who Ne'er Consents, How Long, O Lord, His Brother's Blood, How Rich Thy Favors, God of Grace, How Strong Thine Arm Is, Mighty God, How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds, I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cries, I Saw on Earth Another Light, If Paul in Caesar's Court Must Stand, Infinite, Unexhausted Love, Jesus, My Life! Thyself Apply, Laden with Guilt, and Full of Fears, Let Us Adore Th' Eternal Word, Let Worldly Minds the World Pursue, Let Zion's Watchmen All Awake, Lo, What a Glorious Sight Appears, Long as I Live I'll Bless Thy Name, Lord, Must We Die? O Let Us Die, Lord, Thou Hast Heard Thy Servant Cry, Lord, Thou Wilt Hear Me When I Pray, Lord, When I Count Thy Mercies O'er, Must Friends and Kindred Drop and Die, My God, My God, to Thee I Cry, My Soul, How Lovely Is the Place, My Soul, This Curious House of Clay, No Sleep nor Slumber to His Eyes, Now, Gracious Lord, Thine Arm Reveal, O God, by Whom the Seed Is Given, O God! the Darkness Roll Away, O Joyful Sound of Gospel Grace, O Thou, Whose Own Vast Temple Stands, O, May Our Sympathizing Breasts, On Man, in His Own Image Made, On Zion, His Most Holy Mount, Our Father, Who in Heaven Art, Out of the Deeps of Long Distress, Pour Forth the Oil, — Pour Boldly Forth, Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire, Scorn Not the Slightest Word or Deed, Sing to the Lord, Ye Distant Lands, Soon Will Our Fleeting Hours Be Past, That Awful Day Will Surely Come, The Bird Let Loose in Eastern Skies, The Evils That Beset Our Path, The Ice and Snow We Lately Saw, The Lord Is on His Holy Throne, The Lord Our God Is Clothed with Might, The Man, in Life Wherever Placed, The Manna Favored Israel's Meat, The Offerings to Thy Throne Which Rise, There Is a House Not Made with Hands, There Is a State Unknown, Unseen, Thou God of Love, Thou Ever Blest, Through Sorrow's Night and Danger's Way, Thy Mercies Fill the Earth, O Lord, To Heaven I Lift My Waiting Eyes, To Our Almighty Maker, God, To Tell the Savior All My Wants, To Thine Almighty Arm We Owe, Too Many, Lord, Abuse Thy Grace, Turn Not from Him Who Asks of Thee, We Love Thee, Lord, and We Adore, What Secret Hand, at Morning Light, When Sinners Utter Boasting Words, While Through This Changing World We Roam, Why Do We Mourn Departing Friends, With Earnest Longings of the Mind, With Joy We Hail the Sacred Day, With My Whole Heart I'll Raise My Song, With Stately Towers and Bulwarks Strong, Ye Islands of the Northern Sea.