prick song

written music.

Origin of prick song

1400–50; late Middle English, short for pricked song

Well said, wench; and the prick-song we use shall be our husbands.

The Works of John Marston |John Marston
Any song which was printed in various parts was called a prick-song, to distinguish it from one sung extemporaneously or by ear.

Sabbath in Puritan New England |Alice Morse Earle
Prick-Song, music pricked or noted down, full of flourish and variety.

A History of the Cries of London |Charles Hindley
The point was that it should be extempore; if written down it ceased to be true descant, and was then called 'prick-song.'

Shakespeare and Music |Edward W. Naylor

This time they are speaking, not of descant, but of Prick-song.

Shakespeare and Music |Edward W. Naylor

prick song

obsolete

C16: from pricked song, prickt song, from prick (in the sense: to mark out, notate)