Tufts, John

Tufts, John

(1689–1750) minister, hymnologist; born in Medford, Mass. A Harvard-educated minister, he published the pioneering instruction book, A Very Plain and Easy Introduction to the Art of Singing Psalm Tunes (1721). It went through 11 editions in the next 24 years and helped to make music acceptable to Americans emerging from a Puritan tradition.