By default a Rhythmic Psalms (Rhythmic Chant) tune has four lines, and may have an optional four-line “Refrain” for variety. If there is a Refrain, it is used on every third stanza by default.
Any Rhythmic Psalm can be sung to any tune written in the Rhythmic Psalms pattern, though different tunes have different moods.
Eight Basic Tunes
The eight simple tunes below are inspired by, and named after, specific Psalms. Each Psalm in the Rhythmic Psalms Version has one of these eight tunes listed as a suggested starting point. The counts below include the 22 stanzas of Psalm 119, for a total of 171.
| Mood | Title | Count |
| Distress: Trouble, Sorrow | In My Distress (120) | 18 |
| Distress: Urgent Petition | Hear Us, Shepherd (80) | 21 |
| Distress: Petition, Hope | Out of the Depths (130) | 36 |
| Distress: Trust | I Lift Up My Eyes (121) | 18 |
| Praise: Reverence, Awe | The Heavens Declare (19) | 31 |
| Praise: Glory, Honor | The LORD Reigns (93) | 19 |
| Praise: Triumph, Royalty | O Come (95) | 22 |
| Praise: Exaltation | Hallelujah (150) | 6 |
Additional Tunes
Do Not Rebuke (38) was written specifically for Psalms 38 and 102.
Have Mercy (51) was written specifically for Psalm 51.
I Was Glad (122) was written for the Psalms of Ascent which have a theme of rest or arrival: 122, 125, 128, 131, 133, and 134.
For His Loving Kindness (136) is a six-line tune, and fits only Psalm 136. This tune is very similar to a 12-bar blues pattern. It is fun to sing with the leader or a soloist singing lines 1, 3 and 5, and the congregation responding with the repeated line, “for his loving kindness endures forever.”
