Typical beginnings of verses. A couple of surprises.

Here is a list of typical beginnings of the musical structure of poetry verses in the Hebrew Bible. Finally I have worked out a query with Oracle analytical functions which will begin to uncover the patterns of groups of verses. Perhaps I can do a similar query with ends of verses also. Not sure yet if I can fit the whole into just a few envelopes. But you can see that it is not as simple as Gregorian incipits.

It seems to me on first look that the grouping of verses with similar beginnings in overall shape is as follows. It's a lot of data. This is just for the poetry books. I can run a similar query for the prose. The curious case of the first one that repeats is the verse that is all on one reciting tone, but imitates the shofar in its music by varying the tone with the illuy. Can you find it? Its only reciting note is e. See this post from September.

Here are the first beginnings -- next I will try and match them with typical endings. This is done by considering the accents under the text only. You can switch this back to Hebrew terms. These are all sequences of accents that occur under the text. But notice and hear how the tonal values of the reciting notes make things clearer.

Notice that one of these is a verse with only a second half. Can you find it? Hint look for ger-rev as the opening ornament. Full psalm here.

Note also the striking music of Proverbs 30 verse 4. There are things to be found in this puzzle -- shapes and colours that go beyond the abstractions of theology -- and will assist your hermeneutical mind and give you joy. What else is important.

Proverbs 30 Verse 4: Syllables: 44; Longest recitation: 7; Tenor: e 59.09%;
Ornament density: 19%; Average phrase length: 21.

4 ♪C Who ascended to heaven or descended? Who has gathered wind in two handfuls? Who has straitened waters in a shawl? Who has placed all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son that you know? (C-1-4-1)
ד מ֤י עלֽה־שמ֨ים ויר֡ד מ֤י אֽסף־ר֨וח בחפנ֡יו מ֤י צֽרר־מ֨ים בשמל֗ה מ֭י הק֣ים כל־אפסי־א֑רץ מה־שמ֥ו ומֽה־שם־ב֝נ֗ו כ֣י תדֽע	30 11		d mi ylh-wmiim viird mi asf-ruk bkopniv mi xrr-mim bwmlh mi hqim cl-apsi-arx mh-wmo umh-wm-bno ci tdy

Within all these constraints, the composer has chosen some striking melodies.

Poetry verses may start on any of the following notes.

First note(s)	Patterns	Verses	Comments
e	521	3,169	There are only 5 possible starting pitches for the poetry
f	48	72
g	50	687
B	39	235
C	156	302
e	1	8
e d	52	70	25 two note sequences are used out of a possible 30
e f	114	734
e g	52	472
e A	1	1
e B	118	1537
e C	183	347
f d	1	1
f e	25	33
f g	3	5
f A	3	15
f B	9	11
f C	7	7
g e	13	29
g f	9	32
g A	5	7
g B	23	619
B e	5	11
B g	29	204
B A	5	20
C d	27	30
C e	39	53
C f	30	42
C g	10	18
C A	1	1
C B	49	158
First note(s)	Patterns	Verses	Sample verse	Music Pattern (97 of a possible 140: 20*6+5*4) Reciting notes except A may be repeated and d never occurs following A in the poetry.
e	1	8	Psalms 36:1	e ill,e ill,e
e d e	8	9	Psalms 14:2	e rev,tsi,d e ole,f# g B ^A ger,e
e d f	34	50	Psalms 3:3	e tsi,d ole,f# C e shl,ill,e ill,e
e d g	1	1	Psalms 122:4	e qad,d paz,g B ^A ger-rev,B e
e d B	2	2	Psalms 5:12	e qad,d paz,B g B ^A e f# ger-rev,f# e
e d C	7	8	Psalms 27:6	e qad,d paz,C e ill,e rev,B g B ^A f# ger-rev,e
e f d	22	24	Psalms 14:3	e f# tsi,d ole,f# C e ^A ger-rev,e
e f e	35	149	Psalms 2:7	e rev,e ole,f# e rev,zar,f# f# ^A ger-rev,f# e
e f g	8	25	Psalms 15:1	e rev,ole,f# g B ^A e ger-rev,B e
e f A	19	488	Psalms 1:4	e f# ^A f# ger-rev,e f# e
e f B	17	33	Psalms 4:5	e rev,e ole,f# B g e rev,B e
e f C	13	15	Psalms 6:3	e f# tsi,C ole,f# f# ^A g B e
e g e	11	18	Psalms 7:5	e g e f# ^A g B e
e g f	12	47	Psalms 3:7	e g f# ^A f# ger-rev,B e
e g A	7	42	Psalms 26:4	e g ^A f# ger-rev,B e
e g B	22	365	Psalms 5:4	e rev,g B ^A f# ger-rev,e
e A B	1	1	Psalms 102:28	e ^A ger-rev,B e
e B d	17	21	Psalms 4:9	e B tsi,d ole,f# e B B ^A ger-rev,e
e B e	27	35	Psalms 13:4	e B e g B ^A f# ger-rev,f# e
e B f	2	2	Psalms 45:8	e B tsi,ole,f# C paz,B g f# rev,e
e B g	57	872	Psalms 1:6	e B g B ^A g B e
e B A	15	607	Psalms 2:4	e B B ^A ger-rev,e
e C d	13	14	Psalms 27:2	e C qad,tsi,d ole,f# B B ^A g B e
e C e	55	78	Psalms 6:7	e C e rev,B g ^A ger-rev,f# e
e C f	50	74	Psalms 5:3	e C ill,rev,f# ^A e ger-rev,e
e C g	16	43	Psalms 4:2	e paz,C zar,C rev,g B ^A ger-rev,f# e
e C A	1	1	Proverbs 6:27	e C shl,ill,^A ger-rev,B e
e C B	48	137	Psalms 1:5	e C B g ^A ger-rev,f# e
f d f	1	1	Psalms 140:12	f# tsi,d ole,f# f# ^A ger-rev,e
f e	1	4	Psalms 40:1	ger-rev,f# e
f e d	1	1	Proverbs 8:34	f# e tsi,d e ole,f# B g C ^A ger-rev,f# e
f e f	11	13	Psalms 22:26	f# rev,e ole,f# f# ^A f# ger-rev,B e
f e g	1	1	Psalms 147:1	f# qad,e g B ^A ger,f# e
f e A	5	8	Psalms 2:2	f# qad,rev,f# e ^A ger,e
f e B	3	3	Psalms 40:5	f# e rev,B g ^A e f# ger-rev,f# e
f e C	3	3	Psalms 1:1	f# e rev,C f# tsi,d ole,f# B g f# ^A f# ger-rev,B e
f g f	1	1	Psalms 31:19	f# rev,ole,f# g f# rev,f# e
f g B	2	4	Psalms 112:1	f# qad,g B ^A ger-rev,f# e
f A e	1	4	Psalms 38:23	f# ^A ger-rev,e
f A f	1	6	Psalms 56:4	f# ^A ger-rev,f# e
f A g	1	5	Psalms 92:2	rev,f# ^A g B e
f B d	2	3	Psalms 14:7	f# B tsi,d ole,f# B g B ^A f# ger-rev,f# e
f B g	5	6	Psalms 22:17	f# rev,ole,f# B g ^A ger-rev,f# e
f B A	1	1	Psalms 88:1	f# rev,ole,f# B B ^A ger-rev,f# e
f B C	1	1	Psalms 51:19	f# B tsi,C ole,f# f# ^A ger-rev,B e
f C e	2	2	Psalms 117:2	f# zar,C qad,rev,e f# rev,e
f C f	1	1	Psalms 24:8	f# tsi,C ole,f# g B ^A ger-rev,f# e
f C B	4	4	Psalms 56:10	f# qad,zar,C B g B ^A ger-rev,e f# e
g e f	3	4	Psalms 37:23	g e f# rev,f# e
g e A	2	2	Psalms 106:29	g e ^A ger-rev,e
g e B	8	23	Psalms 3:2	g e B ^A ger-rev,f# e
g f e	3	23	Psalms 9:1	g f# rev,f# e
g f A	4	5	Psalms 77:8	g f# ^A e g B e
g f B	2	4	Psalms 26:11	g f# rev,B e
g A e	1	1	Job 13:12	g ^A ger-rev,e
g A f	1	2	Job 38:16	g ^A f# ger-rev,e
g A g	1	2	Psalms 107:32	g ^A g B e
g A B	1	1	Job 37:16	g ^A ger-rev,B e
g A C	1	1	Psalms 68:30	g ^A C g B e
g B e	7	20	Psalms 33:20	g B e ^A g B e
g B f	1	1	Proverbs 28:17	g B f# ger-rev,e
g B A	15	598	Psalms 2:1	g B ^A ger-rev,e
B e g	4	10	Psalms 105:28	B e g ^A ger-rev,e
B e B	1	1	Proverbs 13:8	B e B ^A ger-rev,f# e
B g e	6	14	Psalms 7:16	B g e ^A ger-rev,B e
B g f	3	4	Psalms 37:27	B g rev,f# e
B g A	6	51	Psalms 22:29	B g ^A ger-rev,e
B g B	14	135	Psalms 6:9	B g B ^A e f# ger-rev,B e
B A e	2	2	Proverbs 16:3	B B ^A ger-rev,e
B A f	2	10	Psalms 18:23	B B ^A ger-rev,f# e
B A g	1	8	Psalms 49:8	rev,B B ^A g B e
C d e	8	8	Psalms 59:4	C d e paz,rev,B B ^A g B e
C d f	15	18	Psalms 5:10	C d paz,tsi,d ole,f# e f# ^A ger-rev,e
C d B	2	2	Psalms 11:2	C d paz,ill,rev,B B ^A f# ger-rev,e
C d C	2	2	Psalms 125:3	C d paz,C rev,tsi,d e ole,f# paz,g qad,ill,e
C e	1	1	Psalms 135:21	zar,C qad,rev,zar,C e rev,e
C e d	7	7	Psalms 22:25	C e qad,d paz,ill,rev,B B ^A e g B e
C e f	12	19	Psalms 5:5	C C e zar,f# ^A g B e
C e g	6	10	Psalms 40:7	C qad,e rev,g B ^A f# ger-rev,B e
C e A	1	1	Proverbs 16:10	C e ^A ger-rev,B e
C e B	9	12	Psalms 3:8	zar,C qad,zar,C rev,e B B ^A g B e
C e C	3	3	Proverbs 30:4	C e qad,paz,C e qad,paz,C e qad,rev,g B ^A f# e ger-rev,B e
C f d	4	4	Psalms 31:14	C qad,f# tsi,d ole,f# B B ^A g B e
C f e	11	16	Psalms 1:2	C f# f# rev,ole,f# e f# rev,f# e
C f g	6	6	Psalms 27:11	C f# rev,ole,f# g B ^A ger-rev,e
C f A	5	12	Psalms 9:21	zar,C qad,rev,ole,f# f# ^A g B e
C f B	4	4	Psalms 40:13	C f# qad,paz,ill,rev,B g B ^A f# e f# ger-rev,f# e
C g e	1	1	Psalms 57:9	C rev,g e f# rev,f# e
C g f	3	7	Psalms 41:14	zar,C qad,zar,C rev,g f# rev,zar,f# e
C g B	6	10	Psalms 7:7	zar,C qad,rev,g B ^A f# ger-rev,f# e
C A e	1	1	Proverbs 1:9	C C shl,ill,^A ger-rev,e
C B d	6	6	Psalms 57:7	C B tsi,d ole,f# B B ^A g B e
C B e	5	6	Psalms 29:9	C qad,B tsi,e d ole,f# ^A ger-rev,f# e
C B f	1	1	Psalms 32:4	C B tsi,f# rev,ole,f# f# ^A g B e
C B g	23	75	Psalms 10:5	zar,C qad,rev,B g ^A ger-rev,f# e
C B A	11	67	Psalms 2:5	C B B ^A e f# e
C B C	3	3	Psalms 24:10	C B tsi,C ole,f# f# ^A C g B e