Hazzat orientation

Nane rouhi (sorry can’t type Coptic on school iPad)

On hazzat.com, the lines are horizontal, but in our church’s Alhan class, Abouna writes them vertically. Is there any one ‘correct’ answer?

Tishepehmot entotk

Comments

  • i have seen them vertically in my church (in britain).
    maybe the horizontal ones are taking a nap!
    disclaimer - i know very little about church hymns
    mabsoota
    (which is a bit like elthvalheet in coptic, although that is more like baseeta - i am a bit of both!)
  • I can guarantee there is not one standard.
    There is a very popular Arabic book series that uses inline vertical hazzat (although i do not know the name). If your Abouna grew up and learned hymns in Egypt, I’m sure he was exposed to those books and their style.
    I believe Hazzat.com used horizontal design for their font for 2 reasons: allowing for longer and shorter lines (not possible in vertical hazzat) can indicate note length, and the stacking allows for more notes per line.
    In the US there was (pre-hazzat.com) a style popular at least in my area where the length was note length (like hazzat.com) and the height was pitch. I’m sure there are tons of regional styles and techniques besides those. In the end they’re just a note keeping tool.
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