Why did broadside ballads usually name a familiar tune instead of printing musical notation?

Broadside ballads typically specified a familiar tune rather than including musical notation because the songs were designed to be accessible and easily learned by the public. Since these ballads were sold as inexpensive broadsheets in streets, fairs, and marketplaces, the inclusion of formal notation was unnecessary and likely impractical for the format.12

Instead, the individuals selling these ballads—known as balladmongers—would sing the verses aloud to potential customers. By listening to the balladmonger’s performance, anyone unfamiliar with the melody could quickly learn the tune. This method relied on the oral tradition to disseminate the music, ensuring that the rhymed accounts of current events or popular stories could be widely shared and performed without the need for written musical literacy.12