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THE BASICS OF BYZANTINE MUSIC NOTATION

INTERVAL SIGNS

SIGNS NAME EXPLANATION

s Ison Same pitch as preceding

note

a Oligon Ascending second

f Petasthé Ascending second

g Kentémata Ascending second

q Kéntema Ascending third

e Hypselé Ascending fifth

d Apóstrophos Descending second

h Hyporrhoé Two consecutive descending

seconds

j Elaphrón Descending third

k Khamelé Descending fifth

SIGNS THAT ADD DURATION

SIGNS NAME EXPLANATION

; Klásma Adds one beat

. Aplé Adds one beat

, Diplé Adds two beats

M Triplé Adds three beats

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SIGNS THAT DIVIDE THE BEAT

SIGNS NAME EXPLANATION

Gorgón Divides the beat in two equal
[ parts

Dígorgon Divides the beat in three equal

y parts

Trígorgon Divides the beat in four equal

t parts

Martyríes

Martyríes show the starting note of the melody from which we begin to chant. They are not
interval signs so they are not chanted. Martyríes are divided in three groups: diatonics, chromatics and
enharmónics

Α. Diatonic Martyríes

Martyríes Name

cn Martyría of Ni

q p Martyría of Pa

l b Martyría of Vou

v g Martyría of Ga

c .
d Martyría of Di

q .
k Martyría of Ke
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Martyríes Name

lz’ Martyría of Zo

v ’
n Martyría of Ni

Β. Chromatic Martyríes
Martyríes Name

ap Martyría of Pa

s b Martyría of Vou

a g Martyría of Ga

s d Martyría of Di

a k Martyría of Ke

s ’
z Martyría of Zo

a ’
n Martyría of Ni

s ’
p Martyría of Pa

Martyríes Name

an. Martyría of Ni

f p Martyría of Pa

a .
b Martyría of Vou

f g Martyría of Ga

a .
d Martyría of Di
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Martyríes Name

fk Martyría of Ke

a .’
z Martyría of Zo

f ’
n Martyría of Ni

C. Enharmonic Martyríes

Martyríes Name

vn Martyría of Ni

c p Martyría of Pa

q b Martyría of Vou

v g Martyría of Ga

c .
d Martyría of Di

q .
k Martyría of Ke

v ’
z Martyría of Zo

c .’
n Martyría of Ni

q ’
p Martyría of Pa

v ’
b Martyría of Vou

SCALE
Scale, in music, declares a series of single notes progressing up or down stepwise.
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Diatonic Ni scale is consisted of the following notes: Ni – Pa – Vou – Ga – Di – Ke – Zo – Ni’

(Ni’ is an octave higher from Ni). Diatonic Ni scale corresponds to C Major scale in Western Music.
The notes of this scale are shown in the next acrostic.

Πάλαι ήµαρτεν Αδάµ, εµακρύνθη του Θεού.

Βουληθείς δ΄ ο Πλαστουργός, δούλου δέχεται µορφήν,
Γάλα πίνει εκ µητρός. εις µετάνοιαν καλεί,
∆ιδαχών σκορπίζει φως, θαύµατα πολλά ποιεί.
Κεφαλήν δ΄ εχθρού πατεί, νεκρωθείς και αναστάς,
Ζωοδότης ων Θεός. και εις µέλλουσαν ζωήν
Νηπενθή πιστούς καλεί, όπου πρώτος εισελθών
Πάσαν έλαβεν αρχήν παρά του Θεού Πατρός.
Practice in Byzantine Musical Notation
At this part are included all the necessary exercises for the practice on Byzantine Musical Notation
(parasemantic). I believe this will help all them that they would like to learn how to read Byzantine
Music through the Internet. Exercises will be grouped in chapters so to be tested the progress of the
“student”. In each lesson a short theory will be preceded and then the practice.

Basic rule: the reading of Byzantine musical notation always takes place from left to right.

Chapter 1

sad
Exercises on

cnss\as\as\as\as\cd.ds\ds\
Ni Ni Pa Pa Vou Vou Ga Ga Di Di Ga Ga Vou Vou
ds\ds\\cn
Pa Pa Ni Ni

http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf1.wav

The exercise begins with the diatonic martyria of Ni. We continue with ison, the sign that
according to the table of the quantity signs has the same pitch as the preceding note: so we repeat Ni.
The exercise goes on with another ison and again the repetition of note Ni. Next sign is oligon, which
means an ascending second, so we read Pa until we reach martyria of Di (martyria is not chanted).
After the martyria of Di, we see apόstrophes, the sign that according to the table of the quantity signs
means descending second, so we read Ga. At the same way we end to the martyria of Ni.
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Chapter 2

c sss\ass\ass\ass\ass\
n
Ni Ni Ni Pa Pa Pa Vou Vou Vou Ga Ga Ga Di Di Di
ass\ass\ass\vn’
Ke Ke Ke Zo Zo Zo Ni Ni Ni

http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf2.wav

The exercise above begins with diatonic martyria, which corresponds to note Ni. We continue our
reading until we see ison, the sign, according to the table, which contains the interval signs, indicates the
repetition of the previous note. So we read Ni and we go on in the same way until the end of the
exercise.

Chapter 3

Exercises on agfd
According to the interval signs table, Kentémata and Petasthé act the same way as oligon
(Petasthé, Kentémata and oligon will be detaily explained later). At this point, we have to mention
that these exercises don’t follow “spelling” rules.

Exercise 1

cnss\as\gs\gs\fs\fs\ds\dd\// dd\cn
Ni Ni Pa Pa VouVou Ga Ga Di Di Ke Ke Di Di Ga VouPa Ni

http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf3.wav

Exercise 2

cnssss\asss\fsss\gsss\
Ni Ni Ni Ni Pa Pa Pa Pa Vou Vou Vou Vou Ga Ga Ga Ga
gsss\fsss\asss\fsss\\vn’
Di Di Di Di Ke Ke Ke Ke Zo Zo Zo Zo Ni Ni Ni Ni

http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf4.wav
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Exercise 3

cnsas\sfs\sas\sgs\sas\\qk.
Ni Pa Pa Pa Vou Vou Vou Ga Ga Ga Di Di Di Ke Ke

http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf5.wav

After the exercise three, quantity characters wont be explained any more.

Exercise 4

cnsaga\assf\sddd\sfsg\sddd\
Ni Ga Di Vou Di
safs\vgddds\\cn
http://www.byzantine-musics.com/sf6.wav