MODES (or TONES) AND SCALES
Modes
The Byzantine Modes (or Tones) as currently used in the hymns of the Greek Orthodox Church and other churches that use Byzantine Chant are analogous to the �church modes� found in Gregorian chant. However, whereas in Gregorian chant a mode refers to a set of notes on a scale, Byzantine Tones are more of a system or organization of notes that have defining characteristics, including a set of notes or scales, rhythm, tempo, base note (ison), melodic pattern (prosomion), accents and cadences (melodic endings). The eight Byzantine Tones are:
- First Tone
- Second Tone
- Third Tone
- Fourth Tone
- Plagal First Tone
- Plagal Second Tone
- Grave Tone (or Barys)
- Plagal Fourth Tone
Hymns are rhythmically divided into three groups according to the complexity of the melody based on its text:
Heirmologic hymns have one note per syllable,
Sticheraric hymns have 2 or more notes per syllable,
Papadic hymns, like the Cherubic or Communion hymns, have many notes per syllable.
These three classifications of rhythm do not necessarily define tempo; however, the faster hymns typically fall under the heirmologic, whereas the slower more ornate hymns fall under the papadic classifications.
There are typically two main notes that define each of the Byzantine Tones. The base note or ison is the final note on which the hymn ends. The ison is typically droned against the melody. Any other notes different than the ison that occur more often than others during the course of a hymn are called dominant notes and also help define the Tone. The plagal (oblique) tones mentioned above employ the same scales as their counterparts, however their base notes (ison) are a fifth below that of their counterparts.
Scales
Byzantine music does not distinguish between major and minor scales . In fact, some Byzantine scales cannot even be played on a piano. Byzantine scales have precise tunings that have some intervals smaller than the Western half-step. These are called microtones . Whereas Western music has two scales (major and minor,) Byzantine music has four scales:
- The diatonic scale begins and ends on C, with the exception that the E and the B are slightly flatter, micro-tonally. Furthermore if the melody of a hymn in the diatonic scale is ascending, the B is natural and flatted (micro-tonally) when descending. The diatonic scale is the most common scale for the First, First Plagal, Fourth and Fourth Plagal Tones. To western ears, the diatonic scale sounds similar to the Western natural minor scale or the Aeolian mode .
- The enharmonic scale is tuned exactly like the Western major scale with the main note (ison) on F. The enharmonic scale is the only Byzantine scale that can be played accurately on the piano or any keyboard instrument. The Third and Grave Tones are enharmonic except for a diatonic, papadic variant of the Grave Tone.
- The hard chromatic scale is usually based on D of the lower tetra chord with the second step slightly flatter and the third step slightly sharper (micro-tonally) than the flat and sharps of Western music. The longer rhythmic styles of the Second Plagal and some Second Tones use the hard chromatic scale.
- The soft chromatic scale also uses the lower tetrachord but is based on C instead of D. There is some controversy about how much to �flat� the second note (D-flat) of the lower tetrachord as compared to the second note (A-flat) of the upper tetrachord of the soft chromatic scale. Traditionally, the D is flatted more than the A. Currently, however, the argument is that both should be flatted the same making both the upper and lower tetrachords equal, thus identical to the hard chromatic scale. The Second, Fourth and Second Plagal Tones all use the soft chromatic scale.
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