The article probes into the music notated in the Colmar Liederhandschrift. After an overview of research on medieval German music, a detailed examination of the melodic forms (“Töne”) in the manuscript shows that these are not as homogeneous as has been assumed until now. In a close examination of two melodies, two types or models of musical design are explicated. Nearly all of the melodies in the manuscript can be distinguished classified under these two types, which point to chronological layers within the collection. One group contains only works of later authors (after ca. 1350 A. D.) plus one older example (Konrad von Würzburg: Aspiston); the second group contains all the melodies for older authors plus one late example (Albrecht Lesch: Hofweise).