Psaltic Method

PSALTIC METHOD
A GREEK BYZANTINE LITURGY CHANT PRIMER

MICHAEL TSIAPPOUTAS
PSALTIC METHOD
A GREEK BYZANTINE LITURGY CHANT PRIMER
FIRST EDITION
2021
Copyright © 2021 Michael Tsiappoutas.
Psaltic Method—A Greek Byzantine Liturgy Chant
Primer, by Michael Tsiappoutas (First Edition,
2021, United States).
This book as well as the Patriarchal Psaltophiles
project are licensed under the Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 This license requires that
reusers give credit to the creator. It allows reusers
to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the
material in any medium or format, for
noncommercial purposes only. If others modify or
adapt the material, they must license the
modified material under identical terms. The
license can be found at:
www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Music fonts: EZ Byzantine Music by Fr. Ephraim of
St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery, based
on ED Psaltica by Elie Daoun.
No permission is granted to use an electronic
copy of this book inside a church.
Not affiliated. Hard copy available on Amazon.
Zero-profit project. Free video lessons at:
www.PatriarchalPsaltophiles.org
ISBN-13: 978—1091091856
Printed in the United States of America.
ΕΙΣ ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΟΝ
ΤΩΝ ΑΠ’ ΑΙΩΝΟΣ ΚΕΚΟΙΜΗΜΕΝΩΝ
ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΩΝ ΨΑΛΤΩΝ
ΚΑΙ ΔΙΔΑΣΚΑΛΩΝ ΗΜΩΝ
ΠΡΩΤΟΨΑΛΤΩΝ,
ΛΑΜΠΑΔΑΡΙΩΝ,
ΔΟΜΕΣΤΙΚΩΝ, ΚΑΙ
ΚΑΝΟΝΑΡΧΩΝ
ΤΩΝ ΜΕΤ’ ΕΥΛΑΒΕΙΑΣ ΥΠΗΡΕΤΗΣΑΝΤΩΝ

ΤΟΝ ΠΑΝΣΕΠΤΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΟΝ ΝΑΟΝ
ΤΗΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΘΡΟΝΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ
ΤΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΙΑΣ
ΗΤΟΙ
ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ
Ο ΠΟΝΗΣΑΣ
IN MEMORIAM
ALL PATRIARCHAL CHANTERS, OUR
TEACHERS, WHO HAD FALLEN ASLEEP
THROUGHOUT THE AGES
PROTOPSALTS,
LAMBADARIOSES,
DOMESTICOS, AND
KANONARCHONS
WHO SERVED PIOUSLY

THE ALL-VENERABLE PATRIARCHAL CHURCH
OF THE FIRST-THRONE CHURCH
OF ORTHODOXY
THAT IS
THE GREAT CHURCH OF CHRIST
THE AUTHOR
ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΕΥΛΟΓΙΑ
PATRIARCHAL BLESSING
ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

ΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΙΕΡΑ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ HOLY AND SACRED SYNOD
ΑΡΧΙΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΙΑ THE CHIEF SECRETARIAT
To the musically-educated Mr. Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas,

in Farmington, CT.
His Most Divine All-Holiness, our venerable Leader and Bishop, the
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, received the Teaching Method
of Chanting Art, submitted through letter by your beloved musically-
educated person, dated June 14th of this year, and in response, I was
directed to express His gratitude for sending your study so gladly
and willingly, as well as His congratulations for your conscientious
effort, and to inform you that your work has been placed in the
Department of Musical Works of the Ecumenical Library, for the
greater benefit of its visitors.
Upon these then, transmitting to you His fatherly and Patriarchal
blessings, as equipment in the struggles of life, I remain with the
love of God and heartfelt wishes for this upcoming Twelvetide [the
Twelve Days of Christmas] and the new year 2021.
In the Patriarchates, the 17th day of December 2020
Archimandrite Joachim Billis

Chief Secretariat
ΑΝΤΑΠΑΝΤΗΣΙΣ
ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ
ΑΓΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΙΕΡΑ ΣΥΝΟΔΟΣ
ΑΡΧΙΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΙΑ Τῇ κ΄ Δεκεμβρίου σ.ἔ. ͵βκ΄.
Τῷ Πανοσιολογιωτάτῳ Ἁγίῳ Ἀρχιμανδρίτῃ κυρίῳ Ἰωακείμ Μπίλλῃ,

Ἀρχιγραμματεῖ τῆς Ἁγίας καὶ Ἱερᾶς Συνόδου.
Ἐν πρώτοις τὰ ἀπεριόριστα σεβάσματά μου πρὸς τὸ σεπτὸν μας

Πατριαρχεῖον καὶ πρὸς τὸν αὐθέντην καὶ δεσπότην ἡμῶν, τὸν
Οἰκουμενικὸν μας Πατριάρχην κ. κ. Βαρθολομαῖον.
Ἔλαβον τὴν ὑμετέραν Πατριαρχικὴν εὐλογητικὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὴν ἀπὸ
τῆς ιζ΄ τοῦ μηνὸς Δεκεμβρίου ἐ.ἔ. Ἀποτελεῖ τιμή μεγίστη δι’ ἐμὲ τὸν ἐν
ψάλταις ἐλάχιστον καὶ διὰ τοὺς «Πατριαρχικοὺς Ψαλτόφιλους». Σᾶς
εὐχαριστῶ ἐκ βάθους καρδίας ποὺ σὲ καιροὺς χαλεποὺς, ἀπαντήσατε
εἰς τὴν αἴτησίν μου νὰ εὐλογήσετε τὸ ἐμὸν πονημάτιον.
Ἡ Πατριαρχικὴ τούτη ἐπιστολὴ θὰ συνδράμει τὰ μέγιστα πρὸς τὸν
σκοπὸν τῶν Ψαλτοφίλων. Οἱ Πατριαρχικοὶ Ψαλτόφιλοι, ἕνας
ἀφιλοκερδὴς ὀργανισμὸς, ἀποσκοπεῖ στὴ διάδοση τῆς Πατριαρχικῆς
ψαλτικῆς τέχνης εἰς ἀγγλοφώνους.
Ἀπεφάσισα νὰ περατώσω πρῶτον τὰ διαδικτυακὰ μαθήματα καὶ
κατόπιν νὰ ἐκδώσω τὸ βιβλίον. Τὰ μαθήματα ἀναρτῶνται στὴν
ἱστοσελίδα μας δωρεάν ὡς καὶ ἅπασαι αἱ προσφερόμεναι ὑπηρεσίαι
ἡμῶν. Ἡ εὐλογητικὴ ἐπιστολὴ θὰ συναριθμεῖται ἀσφαλῶς ὡς ἡ πρώτη,
κόσμημα ὁμοῦ καὶ βεβαίωσις ὅτι ἐγὼ μὲν ἔκαμα τὸ καθῆκον μοὺ καὶ
αἰτήθηκα Πατριαρχικὴν ευλογίαν ὡς ὄφειλα, ἀλλ’ εἶδεν καὶ τὸ
Πατριαρχεῖον ὅτι ὠφέλιμος ἡ προσπάθεια, και ἔδοξεν εὐλογῆσαι αυτήν.
Διατελῶ μετὰ τιμῆς καὶ σεβασμοῦ μεγάλου πρὸς τὸ σεπτὸν κέντρον
τοῦ γένους τῶν ῥωμηῶν καὶ τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ Ὀρθοδόξων, τὸ
Οἰκουμενικὸ Πατριαρχεῖον, ὅν καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑπηρετῆτε καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸ κατὰ
δύναμιν ἀξιούμεθα. Εἴθε ἕκαστον ἐπερχόμενον ἔτος ἔσται τοῦ προτέρου
κρεῖττον διὰ τὸ πολύπαθον Πατριαρχεῖον.
Καλὰ Χριστούγεννα, καλὸν Δωδεκαήμερον, καλὸν νέον ἔτος!
Κυριάκος Μιχαήλ Τσιαππούτας

Πατριαρχικοὶ Ψαλτόφιλοι
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=== www.PatriarchalPsaltophiles.org ===
REPLY
THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

HOLY AND SACRED SYNOD
THE CHIEF SECRETARIAT
The Very Reverend Holy Archimandrite Joachim Billis,

Chief Secretariat of the Holy and Sacred Synod.
Firstly, my unlimited respect towards our holy Patriarchate and towards

our leader and bishop, our Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.
I received your Patriarchal blessing letter dated December 17 2020. It

constitutes the highest honor for me, the least among chanters, and for
“Patriarchal Psaltophiles”. I thank you from the bottom of my heart that
in difficult times, you responded to my request to bless my little project.
This Patriarchal letter will contribute to the goal of Psaltophiles
immensely. Patriarchal Psaltophiles, a pro bono organization, aims to
disseminate the Patriarchal chanting art to English speakers.
I have decided to finish the online lessons first and then publish the
book. Like all our services, the lessons are uploaded on our website free
of charge. The blessing letter will, of course, be listed as the first one, a
jewel as well as an assurance, that I’ve done my duty to request
Patriarchal blessing, as should I, and that the Patriarchate saw that the
effort is beneficial and decided to bless it.
I remain with honor and great respect towards the holy center of the
race of the Rum and all Orthodox, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which
you serve and we hope to serve, according to our strength. I wish you
each coming year to be better than the last one for the long-suffering
Patriarchate.
Merry Christmas, Good Twelvetide, and a Good New Year!
Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas

Patriarchal Psaltophiles
BOOK REVIEW OF MR. MICHAEL TSIAPPOUTAS’ WORK
“PSALTIC METHOD”
Honorable Mr. Tsiappoutas,
I received your book ‘Psaltic Method’ and I studied it carefully. I also

took into account our conversations, where you described the
particular circumstances of the performance practices of church
services, particularly that of Holy Liturgy, in New York, USA, where you
are. Some elements, toward which your effort is geared, I consider very
commendable and pivotal.
First, the issue of using a musical instrument in Divine Worship and at
the church where you serve, something which the ceremonial protocol
(teleturgy) of our Orthodoxy never allowed nor accepted. On the
contrary, it [teleturgy] regards exclusively and solely the human voice
as instrument and, by extension, the human body.
Second, your intense interest for the children, the youth that comes to
church who desire to more actively participate in glorifying God. This
motivation alone is enough for this fruit to come about, that is, the book
you sent me.
Third, the book itself as a musical work, which I studied both carefully
and thoroughly. It is an ingenious didactic method that focuses on the
learning of all three types of melodic genera (sticheraric, heirmologic,
and papadic), through simple, traditional musical lines, free from all
analysis, so that they are read and performed easily. Through it, you
revive the now forgotten practice of psalmody from the entire
congregation of melodies that facilitate the memorization of the words
and their melodic structure, and you are casting us into the Early
Christian era, when everything was simpler, and Christians were
chanting together the ‘ephymnia’, the ‘prokeimena’, and the
‘akroteleutia’ following the ‘gesturing of the reader’.
I congratulate you, therefore, all-heartedly for your work. You offer a
testimony of faith overseas, and moreover, vitalize our church music in
the form it was handed down to us: monophonic and choral.
With respect,
Demosthenes Paikopoulos
Archon Mousikodidaskalos (Teacher of Music) and fmr Second
Domesticos of the Great Church of Christ.
LETTER BY FR. SERAPHIM FARASOGLOU
To the readers (To Whom it May Concern).

In this book of Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas “Psaltic
Method”, which he has sent to me, I ascertained his love for
Byzantine Music and his loyalty to the Center of Orthodoxy,
the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which, just as it guarded the
Dogmas of Faith, it also guarded throughout the centuries the
authentic performance of this Music, which it inherited from
one generation to the next.
He is commendable for his passion to transmit all his
experience and research to the youth of the diaspora of the
New World and to teach it.
I believe that this innovative piece of work will bear fruit, since
this is the first time that such a manual will circulate in
America, something that was lacking, and which it is offered
by Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas without him making any
monetary profit.
I wish every success to this music-loving effort.
Athens, 16 February, 2020.
Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne,

Fr. Serapfeim Farasoglou.
ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ ΕΜΜΑΝΟΥΗΛΙΔΟΥ
Αγαπητέ κύριε Τσιαππούτα,

Με αυτή την επιστολή σπεύδω να απαντήσω στο αίτημά σας
να γράψω κάποιες σκέψεις για το υπό έκδοση πόνημά σας με
τίτλο Psaltic Method—A Greek Byzantine Liturgy Chant
Primer.
Ασφαλώς οποιαδήποτε προσπάθεια γίνεται για την διάδοση
της βυζαντινής μουσικής είναι αξιέπαινη. Πολύ περισσοτέρων
επαίνων όμως είναι άξιες οι προσπάθειες που γίνονται για τη
διάδοσή της σε χώρες όπου η βυζαντινή μουσική δεν είχε
ισχυρή παρουσία κατά το παρελθόν. Εκεί, συχνά, οι συνθήκες
δεν είναι ευνοϊκές και απαραίτητη προϋπόθεση για την
ανάπτυξή της είναι η ύπαρξη ανθρώπων με αγάπη για αυτήν.
Έναν τέτοιον άνθρωπο διέκρινα στο πρόσωπό σας κατά την
τηλεφωνική επικοινωνία που είχαμε το τελευταίο διάστημα.
Τα ερωτήματά σας για τη θεωρία, την πράξη και την
πατριαρχική τάξη πολλά και ειλικρινή ενώ ο σεβασμός και η
αγάπη σας για το πατριαρχικό ύφος απεριόριστα.
Σας συγχαίρω θερμά για την πρωτοβουλία σας να εκδώσετε
εγχειρίδιο εκκλησιαστικής μουσικής στην αγγλική γλώσσα
και μάλιστα προσαρμοσμένο στις ανάγκες των Ελλήνων της
ομογένειας. Εύχομαι το βιβλίο σας να εκπληρώσει το στόχο
του και να αποτελέσει ένα χρήσιμο οδηγό για όσους επιθυμούν
να σπουδάσουν την εκκλησιαστική μουσική. Σε εσάς
προσωπικά, εύχομαι να χαρίζει ο Θεός υγεία και δύναμη για
να χαρείτε τα αποτελέσματα των κόπων σας.
Με εκτίμηση,
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΣ ΕΜΜΑΝΟΥΗΛΙΔΗΣ
'Aρχων Λαμπαδάριος της Aγίας τ. X.M.E.
LETTER BY BASIL EMMANOYELIDES
Dear Mr. Tsiappoutas,
With this letter I am responding to your request to write down

some thoughts about your book under publication with title
Psaltic Method—A Greek Byzantine Liturgy Chant Primer.
Any attempt to disseminate byzantine music is, of course,
commendable. Much more commendable, however, are the
attempts for its dissemination in countries where byzantine
music did not have a strong presence in the past. There,
oftentimes, conditions are not favorable and a necessary
condition for its development are the people who love it.
I have seen such a person in you during our recent telephone
conversations. Your questions about theory, practice, and the
patriarchal taxis were many and honest, while your respect
and love for the patriarchal hyphos were unlimited.
I warmly congratulate you for your initiative to publish a
church music manual in English, especially so because it is
adapted to the Hellenes of the diaspora. I wish your book
fulfills its purpose of constituting a useful guide for whomever
wishes to study the church music. To you personally, my
wishes that God will grace you with health and strength so
you enjoy the fruit of your labor.
With respect,
BASIL EMMANOUELIDES
Archon Lambadarios of the Holy and Great Church of Christ
ΣΧΟΛΙΟ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ ΑΓΓΕΛΙΝΑΡΑ
Ἡ Ψαλτικὴ Μέθοδος τοῦ μουσικοδιδασκάλου κ. Κυριάκου

Μιχαήλ Τσιαππούτα ἀποτελεῖ χρήσιμο καὶ χρηστικὸ
ἐγχειρίδιο γιὰ τὴν ἐκμάθηση τῆς Βυζαντινῆς Μουσικῆς ἀπὸ
ἀγγλόφωνους μαθητές.
Ἡ διάταξη τῆς διδακτέας ὕλης καὶ ὁ ὅλος σχεδιασμὸς τῆς
ἐκδόσεως έξυπηρετοῦν τὴν μεθοδικὴ διδασκαλεία ἀλλὰ καὶ
τὴν εὐχερέστερη μάθηση τῶν διδασκομένων.
Πιστεύω ὅτι ἡ Ψαλτικὴ Μέθοδος θὰ βοηθήσει
ἀποτελεσματικὰ τούς ἀγγλόφωνους νέους τοῦ ἀποδήμου
Ἑλληνισμοῦ καὶ θὰ συντελέσει στὴν εὐχερέστερη ἐκμάθηση
τῆς πάντιμης Βυζαντινῆς Μουσικῆς, ἡ ὁποία εἶναι ἡ μόνη ποὺ
προσιδιάζει στὴν ὑμνολογία τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας.
Γεώργιος Ἀγγελινάρας
Ἄρχων Μαΐστωρ τῆς Ἁγίας τΧΜΕ
COMMENT BY GEORGE AGGELINARAS
The Psaltic Method by the music teacher Mr. Kyriakos Michael

Tsiappoutas constitutes a useful and functional manual for
English-speaking students to learn Byzantine Music.
The layout of the teaching materials [curriculum] and the
whole design of the publication facilitate the methodic
teaching and also the easier learning of the material.
I believe that the Psaltic Method will aid the English-speaking
youth of the Hellenic diaspora effectively and that it will
contribute to the easier learning of the venerable [all-
honored] Byzantine Music, the only music fitting the
hymnology of the Orthodox Church.
George Aggelinaras
Archon Maistor of the Holy and Great Church of Christ
ΣΧΟΛΙΟ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΛΑΓΟΥΡΟΥ
Ἀγαπητέ κ. Τσιαππούτα,
Σᾶς εύχαριστῶ γιὰ τὸ βιβλίο ποὺ μοῦ στείλατε. Εἶναι μία

έκλεκτὴ έργασία, ἡ ὁποῖα ἐμπλουτίζει τὴν Ἀγγλόφωνη
βιβλιογραφία τῆς βυζαντινῆς μουσικῆς.
Σημασία ἔχει ὅτι αὐτὴ γίνεται ἀπὸ κάποιο φιλόμουσο τῆς
Ἀμερικῆς. Παρουσιάζει πρωτοτυπία ἀπὸ ὅλες τὶς ἀπόψεις,
βασισμένη ὃμως στὴν παράδοση.
Σᾶς δίνω τὰ συγχαρητήριὰ μου καὶ εἶμαι βέβαιος ὃτι θὰ
ἐκτιμηθεῖ δεόντος ἡ ἐργασία σας αυτὴ.
Μὲ ἐκτίμηση,
Κωνσταντῖνος Λαγοῦρος
Ἂρχων Πρωτονοτάριος τῆς Ἁγίας τ. X.M.E.
COMMENT BY CONSTANTIN LAGOUROS
Dear Mr. Tsiappoutas,
Thank you for sending me your book. It is a fine piece of work,

which enriches English bibliography on byzantine music.
It is important that this work is done by a musicophile in
America. It exhibits innovation in all respects, based,
however, on tradition.
I congratulate you, and I am certain that your work will be
valued properly.
With respect,
Constantin Lagouros
Archon Protonotarios of the Holy and Great Church of Christ
Professor C. Lagouros (b. 1930—) is Archon Protonotarios of the

Holy and Great Church of Christ, i.e., the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
Constantinople (2012) and Archon Protopsaltis of Canada (1999). A
physics professor by profession, taught byzantine music and
hymnology at the Université de Sherbrooke in Quebec, taught
chanting to Greek— and French—speaking students, directed
byzantine choirs, and authored many articles and books. Student of
Antonios Syrkas and Peter Maneas.
ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΦΩΤΙΟΥ ΓΙΑΝΝΑΚΑΚΗ
ΦΩΤΙΟΣ ΓΙΑΝΝΑΚΑΚΗΣ
Άρχων Πρωτοψάλτης
Αγιωτάτης Αρχιεπισκοπής Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
Μελετώντας το υπό έκδοση εγχειρίδιο με τίτλο «Ψαλτική

Μέθοδος» και έχοντας την ευλογία του Θεού να διδαχθώ και
να εντρυφήσω επί μακρόν δίπλα στους αείμνηστους Άρχοντες
Πρωτοψάλτες της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, θέλω να συγχαρώ
εκ βάθους καρδίας τον συγγραφέα του πονήματος τούτου, κ.
ΚΥΡΙΑΚΟ ΜΙΧΑΗΛ ΤΣΙΑΠΠΟΥΤΑ, για την άρτια, αρίστη
και πλήρως εμπεριστατωμένη έκδοση του εγχειριδίου του.
Ο συγγραφέας, ως γνώστης, μελετητής αλλά και εκφραστής
της Πατριαρχικής παράδοσης, κατόρθωσε πολύ έντεχνα
μέσα από τις γνώσεις του και από τις προσωπικές του
εμπειρίες να μας παρουσιάσει ένα εγχειρίδιο πλήρως
εναρμονισμένο με την Πατριαρχική παράδοση.
Προσωπικά πιστεύω ότι η έκδοση αυτή αποτελεί ένα άριστο
βοήθημα και μια καταξιωμένη μέθοδο εκμάθησης της
Βυζαντινής Μουσικής για αρχαρίους και ιδιαίτερα για τα
παιδιά και τους νέους της Ομογένειας.
Εύχομαι ο Θεός να του χαρίζει υγεία και παν αγαθόν, δια να
συνεχίσει το αξιόλογο μουσικό, Ιεροψαλτικό και συγγραφικό
του έργον.
Μετά τιμής,
ΦΩΤΙΟΣ ΓΙΑΝΝΑΚΑΚΗΣ
Άρχων Πρωτοψάλτης
Α Α Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
LETTER BY FOTIOS GIANNAKAKIS
FOTIOS GIANNAKAKIS
Archon Protopsalt
Of the All-holly Archdiocese of Constantinople
By studying the under-publication primer entitled “Psaltic

Method” and being blessed by God to be taught and study
deeply and for a long time next to the late Archon Protopsalts
of Constantinople, I want to congratulate from the bottom of
my heart the author of this book, Mr. Kyriakos Michael
Tsiappoutas, for his complete, perfect, and thoroughly
comprehensive publication of his manual.
The author, as a knowledgeable person, as a scholar, but also
as one who expresses the Patriarchal tradition, managed very
artfully through his knowledge and personal experience to
present us with a manual that is in complete harmony with
the Patriarchal tradition.
Personally, I believe that this publication constitutes a perfect
aid and an accomplished learning method for Byzantine Music
for beginners and especially for children and the youth of the
Diaspora.
May God grace him with good health and every good, so he
can continue his notable musical, chanting, and authoring
pursuits.
With honor,
FOTIOS GIANNAKAKIS
Archon Protopsalt
Of the All-holly Archdiocese of Constantinople
Contents
Preface ....................................................................................i
Acknowledgements ......................................................... iii
Psaltic Method .................................................................... 1
Echos ................................................................................ 53
Advanced Notation .......................................................... 85
Tempo, Rhythm, and Ison ................................................ 90
Doxologies in all Modes ………………………………………………… 93
Special Topics—Liturgy .................................................... 137
Liturgy …..…………………………………………………………………….. 141
Appendix
Fame of Patriarch ................................................ 203
List of Patriarchs .................................................. 205
List of Protopsalts and First Domesticos ............. 206
List of Lambadarios and Second Domesticos ..... 207
Apolytikia ............................................................ 209
Kontakia .............................................................. 215
Another Cherubic Hymn ...................................... 229
Another Communion Hymn ................................ 231
St John the Chrysostom on Organs in Church ..... 235
Patriarchal Encyclical on Electronics ................... 239
Declensions for Memorial ................................... 239
Beyond This Book ................................................ 241
Be a Patriarchal Psaltophile ................................ 243
Hyphos ................................................................ 245
Map of Constantinople Churches ........................ 249
References ........................................................... 251
―i―
Preface
To become a chanter, one needs to be apprenticed to a
chanter. In the Greek Orthodox churches in the United States,
however, Liturgy, the most well-attended service, is sung by a
polyphonic choir with organ accompaniment. Because of this,
chanting became foreign to children. Because children were
less inclined to learn how to chant within their communities,
the population of trained chanters declined. Because of less
trained chanters, Orthros suffered. Badly chanted Orthros
and Esperinos (Vespers) is attended even less. Most churches
abandoned Esperinos altogether, since there were no
chanters and little congregation. Orthros is still read before
Liturgy, but chanted rarely—and chanted well even more
rarely.
In the Greek Orthodox churches in the United States,
byzantine (plain)chant, a vital component of byzantine liturgy,
was replaced by accompanied polyphony. Some attribute this
substitution to the need of Greek-speaking immigrants to
assimilate into the American culture, others to the fact that
late 19th to mid-20th century Greek immigrants brought
polyphony to the new shores with them. In Greece,
polyphony has since been abandoned and assimilation is not
a concern anymore.
This unnatural substitution created a vicious cycle which
spiraled chanting down to near extinction. Apprenticeship,
the vehicle of oral transmission, collapsed, and with it,
chanting. The experiment to substitute chanting for
polyphonic organ choirs failed. An alternative is needed.
After a century of ostracism, the ancient and sacred art of
byzantine music is organically re-emerging. And how could it
not? These ancient melodies are the garment with which the
words of worship are clothed. The Word ancient, and the
garment tailored. Newer, shinier clothes were tried on, but
― ii ―
none fit like the old. The time-honored model, i.e., byzantine
chant for byzantine liturgy, is the proposed alternative to the
current, non-sustainable model.
This manual is a tool aimed to help break the vicious cycle.
The first part teaches the essentials of chanting as it has been
preserved and cultivated for over one and a half millennia by
our Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. The second
part is the Liturgy of St John the Chrysostom in the original
Greek language set in byzantine music notation.
As time permits, I will be adding video lessons and other
materials on the book’s companion google site.
No profit is being made on this title. Price covers only the
printing cost. To the memory of my teacher, Hatzisavvas
Psaltis from the once Greek-speaking town of St Ambrose of
Keryneia in the island of Cyprus.
Christmas Day, 2020.

‘Kyriakos’ Michael Tsiappoutas1
1
Born Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas. Legally changed his name to
Michael Tsiappoutas. Even though his official first name is Michael,
some Greek speaking friends still call him Kyriakos.
― iii ―
Acknowledgements
My deepest respect and gratitude to Demosthenes
Paikopoulos2. His guidance on both the method (first part of
this book) and liturgy (second part) exceeded my
expectations. It’s been an honor to have met a chanter who
actually co-chanted with Iakovos Nafpliotis and sat in Angelos
Boudouris’ classroom.
I also would like to acknowledge the help of Basil
Emmanouelides3. A music teacher himself for many years in
Constantinople, his comments on pedagogy were
illuminating. His help on both the method and liturgy parts of
this book was needed and much appreciated.
Fr. Serapheim Pharasoglu4 who embraced me and this work
from the first conversation. His expertise on issues of taxis and
typicon was much needed and appreciated. I thank him for
giving his time and advice so generously.
Georgios Aggelinaras5, who’ve read the manuscript and made
suggestions and corrections on language, music, and taxis.
Fotios Giannakakis6, who read the manuscript and made
invaluable suggestions. His enthusiasm to help the younger
generation is truly inspiring.
Stamatios Nicholaos Kissas7, a humble yet deep curator of
patriarchal chanting tradition, for his comments on both
2
Second Domesticus at the Patriarchal church from 1954 to 1960
under Lambadarios Stanitsas and Protopsalt Priggos.
3
Lambadarios at the Patriarchal church from 1978 to 1997.
4
Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne.
5
Traditional chanter and philologist. Born at Samos in 1934.
6
Archon Protopsalt, Archdiocese of Constantinople. Born at
Constantinople in 1949.
7
Archon Protomaistor of the Great Church of Christ; president of
the Association of Constantinopolitan Friends of Music in Athens.
― iv ―
method and liturgy parts of the book. His encouragement and

support were much appreciated.
Archimandrite Athanasius Siamakis8 for having read the
manuscript and making numerus editing and text corrections,
even on the classic scores.
Andreas Ioannou Koraes9, for his suggestions on pedagogy. He
has been my sounding board for this and for the Greek Bible
project10.
Demetrious Nerantzes11, for his valuable comments on the
manuscript as well as helping me understand the chosen
cherubic hymn deeper.
A personal note: getting to know these people, was my
greatest reward for putting together this book. My sincere
gratitude and thanks to any and all who helped shaped this
book, according to the standards and teachings of our
Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
8
Theologian, secretary of Metropolitan Augustine of Florina and
editor of about 40 of Metropolitan Augustine’s books. Published
books on ancient Greek music and its relation to Byzantine music.
9
Cypriot traditional chanter (b. 1938—) who respects and upholds
the Patriarchal tradition.
10
www.sites.google.com/site/septuagintbible/
11
Archon Teacher of the Apostle of the Great Church of Christ. Born
in 1937 in the island of Chios. A traditional chanter and researcher,
who loves and promotes the Patriarchal chanting tradition.
―i―
To my wife and son.

― ii ―
―1―
Κλίμακα—Scale
μαρτυρίες (martyrias)
φθόγγοι (notes)
Ψάλλε (Chant)
1) Δι Δι Δι Δι
2) Δι Γα Βου Γα Δι Δι Δι
3) Δι Γα Βου Γα Δι Δι Δι Κε Ζω Κε Δι Δι
Χρόνος (Tempo)
Θέσις και άρσις, χρόνος ένας.
Down-beat and up-beat, one beat.
Place your hand on the table. This is thesis (η θέσις, της

θέσεως). Raise it into the air. This is arsis (η άρσις, της
άρσεως). From one thesis to the next, there is one complete
beat. Every knock is a beat.
Keeping steady χρόνος is so important, that the old chanters
used to say
Χρόνος και πάλιν χρόνος.

Tempo and tempo again.
METHOD
―2―
Characters of Quantity—Χαρακτήρες Ποσότητος
A character is a symbol. We have quantitative and qualitative

characters. Characters of quantity tell us by how many notes
(φθόγγοι) to go up or down from where we are in the melody.
Characters of quality (χαρακτήρες ποιότητος) tells us how to
perform a piece of melody. The following three quantity
characters are common.

ίσον (ison). Stay on the same note
 
ολίγον (oligon). Go one note up
     
απόστροφος (apostrophos).
Go one note down
If you are to stay on a particular note, someone has to tell you

the note you are at. This is what a martyria (η μαρτυρία, της
μαρτυρίας) does. They look like the symbols on the left side
of the scale on page 1. For example, instead of telling you that
we are on note Δι, from now on I will tell you we are on

This martyria gives us two pieces of information: the top part
tells us that the note we are currently at is Δι; the bottom part
that the intervals we ought to follow above and below Δι are
those shown in the scale of page 1.
If, for example, the melody wanted you to start from Βου
instead of Δι, the martyria would be this
   
METHOD
―3―
Remember we chanted Δι Δι Δι Δι ? This is the same as if I

told you ‘our starting point is Δι and we need to say it four
times’. In byzantine music notation, we would write
 
We could even repeat the martyria at the end of the melody
line, just to make sure we know we should be ending on Δι.
Similarly, instead of writing Δι Γα Βου Γα Δι Δι Δι, we could
write down this
 
And instead of writing down Δι Γα Βου Γα Δι Δι Δι Κε Ζω
Κε Δι Δι, we could say

 
Music goes from left to right and down to the next line, just
like English.
Practice Tips
✓ Keep a steady beat—χρόνος και πάλιν χρόνος!
✓ Hand moves up and down. Each character or note
goes on the thesis, on the beat.
✓ Practice first slow tempo (χρόνος αργός), then a bit
faster (χρόνος γοργός).
✓ Keep an eye on your intervals. Δι—Κε is not as big
as Γα—Δι (whole tone).
✓ Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! Practice makes
perfect!
✓ Practice as many times as you need to say it
perfectly.
METHOD
―4―
Βάσις (Basis or Base)

The basis (η βάσις, της βάσεως) of a melody is the note
(ο φθόγγος, του φθόγγου) the melody usually starts and
finishes on.
The following melody has Βου as its basis.


It also ends on Βου, so we say that there is a cadence on Βου.
Κατάληξις (Cadence)
A cadence (η κατάληξις, της καταλήξεως) is an ending
of a musical phrase. Cadences usually happen on the
basis of the melody.

ελαφρόν (elaphron).
Two notes down.
Let’s change the martyria from Βου to Δι, and use elaphron to
start two notes lower than Δι, that is, from Βου.


The two melodies are exactly the same. Different characters,
same melody! I could as well right it down with letters instead
of music notation, and it would still be the same.
Βου Γα Δι Δι Δι Γα Δι Κε Κε Δι Δι Δι Δι Γα Γα Δι Κε Δι
Γα Βου Βου Βου
METHOD
―5―
Παραλλαγή και Μέλος – Parallage and Melos

Parallage (η παραλλαγή, της παραλλαγής) means we
chant the notes. Melos (το μέλος, του μέλους) means
we chant the words under the notes.

Ταις πρεσ βει αις της Θε ο το ο κου ου

Σω ω τε ερ σω ω σον η μα α ας
At any martyria, take a quick breath.
Congratulations! You just chanted the first real hymn of the

Sunday Liturgy. You should be proud of yourself!
If you are able to chant the above hymn, you’ve learned
several fundamental things about byzantine music. There is a
scale, that tells you how much we raise or lower our voice
pitch from one note to the next (scale intervals). There are
notes, that tell you where in the scale you are at, up high or
down low. There is tempo, that tells you how fast to keep
beat. There are quantitative characters, symbols that tell you
which one is the next note you should be going to, by how
many notes to go up or down. You can chant only the notes
(parallage) for practice at home, but in church we chant the
words (melos).
Tip
Practice every piece three times parallage, and one time
melos. If your melos is not perfect, practice parallage
another three times.
METHOD
―6―
Some Scale Theory
Διάστημα or τόνος means interval or tone. Two φθόγγοι

(notes) enclose one τόνος. For example, from Βου to Γα there
is one τόνος and from Γα to Δι there is another τόνος. Not all
tones are the same, some are smaller and some are bigger.
The numbers inside the boxes tell us how big or small the tone
is, based on how many moria (το μόριον, τα μόρια) it has.
Most music instruments (recorder, piano, quitar) play only
whole and half tones. In byzantine music, a whole tone has 12
moria and a half tone has 6 moria, but these are not the only
tones we use.
Μείζων Τόνος Whole Tone 12 Moria

Ελάσσων Τόνος Minor Tone 9 Moria
Ελάχιστος Τόνος Least Tone 7 Moria
The scale we just learned contains only whole and least tones.
τόνος Κε—Ζω
μείζων τόνος
τόνος Βου—Γα
ελάχιστος τόνος
Notice how the scale goes from low to high: least-whole—

least-whole. This is called διφωνία ομοία (similar third).
METHOD
―7―
Time Characters—Χρονικοί Χαρακτήρες
Ordinarily, quantity characters take one beat each. Time

characters modify the duration (beats) of quantity characters.

κλάσμα (klasma).
Adds one beat.
  
απλή (single).
Adds one beat, like klasma.
   διπλή (double).
Adds two beats.
  γοργόν (gorgon).
  
Note goes on up-beat (arsis)
Our previous example

Ταις πρεσ βει αις της Θε ο το ο κου ου

Σω ω τε ερ σω ω σον η μα α ας
now becomes this (ἰσον is being replaced by κλάσμα)
                          

Ταις πρεσ βει αις της Θε ο το κου
                                                          

Σω τερ σω ω σον η μας
METHOD
―8―
Let’s see how the gorgon works out. From this

Ταις πρεσ βει αις της Θε ο το κου Σω τερ
   
Σω ω σον η μας
to this

Ταις πρεσ βει αις της Θε ο το κου Σω τε ε
    

ερ Σω ω σον η μας
Let’s learn one more quantity character

κεντήματα (kentimata).
Go one note up, like oligon.

    

ερ Σω σον η μας
Kentimata is different from oligon in that they don’t take a

new syllable and they are performed smoother than oligon.
METHOD
―9―
Characters of Quality—Χαρακτήρες Ποιότητος
So far, we’ve seen Quantity Characters, that tell us how much,

and Time Characters that tell us when. We now learn about
Quality characters, which tell us how to chant a particular
note or a note and its immediate neighbors (group of notes).
Characters of Quality, unlike those of Time and Quantity,

are hard to learn, because the same quality character
can be performed differently in different situations.
Quality characters are always found in combination of
quantity characters, never alone.
The only way to learn quality characters is to hear them
performed by chanters that served in the Ecumenical
Patriarchate, or other traditional chanters.

ομαλόν (omalon).
Gives a quick wave or jerk.





METHOD
― 10 ―

    


βαρεία (grave).
Gives a heavier accent or stress.
Sometimes a downward bow.




   

    

METHOD
― 11 ―
Reading Ancient Greek

Greek is hard to write, but easy to read. This is because
there are many ways to write the same sound, but only
one way to read it. For example, all these make the sound
/ee/ : η, ι, οι, ει, υ.
Greek is a ‘tonic’ language (τονική γλώσσα), because
certain syllables are accented more than others. What
tells you which syllable to accent are the τόνοι (accents)
on top of the letters.
The old chanters didn’t use the verb ‘compose’, but the
verb τονίζω. This tells us that the melody followed the
tonicity of the text. In Byzantine chant, the music is the
clothing of the text. Music help us remember and
understand the words better. Music and words go hand-
in-hand. We don’t ‘compose’ music just for the sake of
music itself, but we use music to serve the logos (word).
Πνεύματα και Τόνοι (Breathing and Accent Marks)

Breathing marks have no effect on how you stress a
syllable, but accents do. Breathing marks always go at the
beginning of a word, if the word begins with a vowel.
We have two breathing marks (no effect)

ἀ alpha with high mark, or ‘high’ – ψιλή
ἁ alpha with rough mark, or ‘rough’ – δασεία
We have three accents

ᾶ alpha with circumflex – περισπωμένη
ά alpha with acute accent -- οξεία
ὰ alpha with grave accent – βαρεία
METHOD
― 12 ―
Examples:
Ταῖς πρεσβείαις τῆς Θεοτόκου, Σῶτερ, σῶσον ἡμᾶς.
Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ
καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀθάνατος
ὑπάρχων καὶ καταδεξάμενος διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν
σωτηρίαν, σαρκωθῆναι ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Θεοτόκου καὶ
ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας, ἀτρέπτως ἐνανθρωπήσας
σταυρωθείς τε, Χριστὲ ὁ Θεός, θανάτῳ θάνατον
πατήσας, εἷς ὢν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος, συνδοξαζόμενος τῷ
Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, σῶσον ἡμᾶς.
The bold syllables are accented more. Even though Ταῖς

and τῆς have an accent (circumflex) we do not stress them
more because they are monosyllabic articles. The word
ἡμᾶς is stressed on the second syllable, because δασεία
has no effect, but περισπωμένη does have an effect
because it’s an accent and the word is not an article.

Petaste (πεταστή) goes 1 note up with
a flutter.
                         

│
Πεταστή with ολίγον goes 2 notes up,

preserving the ‘energy’ (flutter) of the
πεταστή.
METHOD
― 13 ―
Συνεχές ελαφρόν (continuous elaphron) goes two voices

down, not immediately like the elaphron, but ‘continuously’,
that is, one at a time.
     
1+1 down. Is the same as

Ταῖς πρεσβείαις is chanted three times. The third time you
chant it, you will stop for the priest to say his part, so you need
to make a ‘final’ cadence (τελική κατάληξις).
Αντιφωνία (Antiphony)
During Liturgy, the priest says something, then the two
chanters (α’ and β’, or first and second, or right and left)
respond to the priest and to each other. It’s like a
conversation, a dialogue.


ψηφιστόν (psiphiston).
The most versatile of quality characters.
Its effect, or ‘energy’ (ενέργεια) as the
 
old books say, varies according to how
it is combined with other quantity and
time characters. The only way to learn
how it is performed in each
combination is to hear a traditional
chanter perform it.
METHOD
― 14 ―
Αντίφωνον Α’
Priest:
Ὅτι πρέπει σοι πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις τῷ Πατρὶ
καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς
αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
You:                    

Α μην
α’ ψάλτης (first chanter or right chanter):

    

β’ ψάλτης (second chanter or left chanter):

    

α’ ψάλτης (third and last one):
 
Ταις πρεσ βει αιςτης Θε ο το ο κου Σω
 
τερ Σω σον η μα α ας
METHOD
― 15 ―
Αντίφωνα (Antiphons)
Soon after Liturgy starts, we chant the three antiphons:
Antiphon A: Ταῖς πρεσβείαις (3 times).
Antiphon B: Σῶσον ἡμᾶς (3). Ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς.
Antiphon C: Ἀπολυτίκιον.
Αντίφωνον Β’
β’ ψάλτης:

Σω σον η μα αςΥι ε Θε ου ο α ναστας

εκ νε κρων ψαλ λον τας σοι Αλ λη λου ι α
α’ ψάλτης:


β’ ψάλτης:


METHOD
― 16 ―
Scale Revisited
The scale below shows a complete scale, from Νη to Νη. This
is a complete octave or διαπασών (from διὰ πασῶν τῶν
φθόγγων, or through every note). Add the same note names
above or below to expand it even more.
The ‘μονογενὴς’ below is from a century-old recording (called

‘Kyrie Eleison’) of Iakovos Nafpliotis who chants with children.
α’ ψάλτης:
        

Δο ξα Πα τρι και Υι ω και Α γι
METHOD
― 17 ―

ω Πνευ μα τι
β’ ψάλτης:
     
Και νυν και α ει και εις τους αι ω νας των αι 

ω νων α μην
    

Ο μο νο γε νης Υι ος και Λο γος του Θε

ου α θα να τος υ πα αρ χων και κα τα δε
   
ξα με νος δι α την η με τε ραν σω τη ρι

αν σαρ κω θη ναι εκ της α γι ας Θε
          

ο το ο κου και α ει παρ θε νου Μα
       

ρι ας α τρε πτως εν αν θρω πη σας σταυ ρω
METHOD
― 18 ―
   

θεις τε Χρι στε ο Θε ος θα να τω θα να τον
     

πα τη η σας εις ων της α γι ας Τρι α δος
  

συν δο ξα ζο με νος τω Πα τρι και τω Α
                        

γι ω Πνευ μα τι σω σον η μα α ας
Note the final cadence, which notifies the priest to say his
part next.
Αντίφωνον Γ’ (Antiphon C)
The third antiphon is the apolytikion, a small hymn. Each
of the eight echos have their own apolytikion. Each
Sunday we will chant the apolytikion of that Sunday’s
echos. We will learn the apolytikia of all eight echos later
on. Now, some theory!
METHOD
― 19 ―
Qualitative Characters—Complete Table
These are all the seven qualitative characters, or as Chrysanth

calls them, the άχρονες υποστάσεις.
Learning how to perform quality characters take practice,

because their ‘energy’ (effect) changes according to the
combination of characters around them. However, the basic
effect of each is described by Chrysanth as follows.
Βαρεία (grave) gives the φθόγγος (note) a weight, a heaviness
so that the note is distinguished from the previous and the
next note.
Ομαλόν (the omalon) causes a high-pitch waving of the voice
in the throat.
Αντικένωμα (antikenoma) is placed under the oligon and gives
a jump or a jerk of the voice.
Ψηφιστόν (psiphiston) gives a power and a liveliness to the
note.
Έτερον (eteron), sometimes called σύνδεσμος (syndesmos),
causes the notes under which it is inscribed to be smoothly
connected.
Σταυρός (cross) makes us pause momentarily to take a breath.
Ενδόφωνον (endophonon) means we close our mouth and let
the voice through the nose, when we say letters like μ or ν.
METHOD
― 20 ―
How do I learn qualitative characters?
Τhe word ‘tie’, could refer to a tie you wear or to tying your
shoelaces. The word ‘tie’ has two meanings. Its specific
meaning is understood within context. Same with qualitative
characters—they cannot be understood outside of context.
Only within their melodic context.
Do not try to understand each qualitative character on your
own. There is no way you can imagine how it should be
performed reading about it. You need to hear it. Old teachers
used to say ‘if you want to become a chanter, you need to do
three things—hear, hear, hear!’. Psaltic art is an acoustic art.
Music notation (the symbols we teach here) provides a
skeletal melody. The way your voice carries these melodies,
cannot be written down on paper, it has to be heard. Hearing
old chanters is more important than learning these symbols.
Other books have many exercises about learning qualitative
characters. We won’t do that. We will learn them as they
come up by listening to traditional chanters chant them.
If you are serious about becoming a correct chanter, you need
to seek out recordings of the list of chanters provided in the
next page and listen to them for many hours. Listening to
these chanters an hour a day for three years will do you more
good than knowing how to read the symbols we teach here.
Hearing them chant will give you a kind of intuition so that
you will be able to perform the music naturally and with ease.
Many melodic phrases, called ‘theses’ in chanting art, are
repeated. If you hear chanters enough times perform these
theses, you will be able to perform them yourself ‘prima
vista’, that is, the first time you perform from a music score.
METHOD
― 21 ―
Chanters to hear
As a rule of thumb, recordings of chanters who served at
St George Patriarchal Church of Constantinople are the
best. In our Ecumenical Patriarchate great care has been
taken to preserve the ancient melodies through time,
without embellishments. The following is a list of the
latest Πρωτοψάλτες and Λαμπαδάριοι.
Πρωτοψάλτες
Ἰάκωβος Ναυπλιώτης ..................... 1911—1939
Κωνσταντῖνος Πρίγγος .................... 1939—1959
Θρασύβουλος Στανίτσας ................ 1960—1964
Βασίλειος Νικολαΐδης ..................... 1965—1985
Λεωνίδας Ἀστέρης .......................... 1985—2016
Παναγιώτης Νεοχωρίτης ................ 2016—
Λαμπαδάριοι
Ἰάκωβος Ναυπλιώτης ..................... 1905—1911
Κωνσταντῖνος Κλάββας .................. 1911—1916
Εὐστάθιος Βιγγόπουλος ................. 1917—1938
Κωνσταντῖνος Πρίγγος .................... 1938—1939
Θρασύβουλος Στανίτσας ................ 1939—1960
Νικόλαος Δανιηλίδης ..................... 1960—1965
Ἐλευθέριος Γεωργιάδης ................. 1968—1978
Βασίλειος Ἐμμανουηλίδης ............. 1978—1997
Ἰωάννης Χαριατίδης ....................... 1997—2016
Στυλιανὸς Φλοῖκος ......................... 2016—
Except for Κλάββας and Βιγγόπουλος, you should be

able to find audio recordings of all the rest online.
METHOD
― 22 ―
In Greek Orthodox tradition, there are two chanters, or two

choirs (χοροί) of chanters, one to the right and one to the left.
Looking towards the altar, you see the icons. The empty area
in front of the altar and icons is called soleas (σολέας). The
bookstands for chanters (το αναλόγιον, του αναλογίου), are
to the right and left of the soleas.
In the Patriarchal Church of St George, the head chanter of
the right choir is called Πρωτοψάλτης (ο Πρωτοψάλτης, του
Πρωτοψάλτου) and the head chanter of the left choir is called
Λαμπαδάριος (ο Λαμπαδάριος, του Λαμπαδαρίου). For the
rest of us outside the Patriarchate, we have right chanters and
left chanters, not Πρωτοψάλτες and Λαμπαδάριοι.
You may hear me call any Patriarchal chanter a teacher (ο
διδάσκαλος or ο δάσκαλος). This is because the Patriarchate
is the prototype of how we do our Liturgy, the school clergy
and chanters learn from. So, its chanters are teachers.
History
Before 1814, the music notation was stenographic—one
music symbol meant a whole melodic line (called thesis).
In 1814, our Ecumenical Patriarchate approved the
simplification of the old music notation so that a symbol
doesn’t mean a whole melodic line, but a note.
Bishop Chrysanth of Madytos, Gregorios the Protopsalt
and Chourmouzios the Hartophylax (paper keeper) are
the teachers typically credited with the revision from the
old to the current music notation (used in this book).
The old-looking scale copies in this book are from
Chrysanthos’ 1821 book called Introduction to the
Theory and Practice of Ecclesiastical Music.
So far, we’ve used only one scale and chanted only in one
Echos (ο Ήχος, του Ήχου, literally sound), specifically the
METHOD
― 23 ―
Second Echos. We now learn a little bit about what Echos is,
how many Echos are there, and what their characteristics are.
There are eight Echos (or Modes) in Byzantine chant:
Ήχος Πρώτος First Mode

Ήχος Δεύτερος Second Mode
Ήχος Τρίτος Third Mode
Ήχος Τέταρτος Fourth Mode
Ήχος Πλάγιος του Πρώτου Plagal of First Mode
Ήχος Πλάγιος του Δευτέρου Plagal of Second Mode
Ήχος Βαρύς Grave Mode
Ήχος Πλάγιος του Τετάρτου Plagal of Fourth Mode
Ταῖς πρεσβείαις is set in Second Mode. But how do we know

that? We know it because the βάσις of this melody is the
φθόγγος (note) Δι. The scale contains least and whole tones
(the numbers 7 and 12) and it has a specific name–μαλακή
χρωματική (soft chromatic scale). Δι and Βου are the main
notes (δεσπόζοντες φθόγγοι). Τhe melody starts at and
finishes on Δι (final cadence), but we also see intermediary
cadences on Βου.
Ήχος Πλάγιος του Τετάρτου (Plagal of Fourth
Echos) has different characteristics. Its basis
is the note Νη and its main notes are Νη,
Βου, and Δι. Its scale is not chromatic, but
diatonic. We know it’s diatonic because it
has these specific intervals.
The numbers show you the intervals. The
martyria is the one that has the letter of the
note in it, like the lowest note here (βάσις) is
Νη or νη (same thing, only lower-case first
letter), so its martyria has the letter ν in it.
Next to the martyria you see the phthora or
fthora (η φθορά, της φθοράς). The φθορά
has to do more with the sequence of the
METHOD
― 24 ―
tones (whole, minor, least—μείζων, ελλάσσων, ελάχιστος)

from Νη to Γα, rather than with the specific name of the note.
Fthoras are symbols that can be placed on quantitative
characters (like an ison) in order to switch between scales like
chromatic and diatonic.
For now, you should memorize the names of the notes, their
martyria, and their fthora.
Quantitative Characters—Complete Table
Ascend Descend
Ανιόντες means ascending and κατιόντες means descending.

The letters indicate how many tones up or down each
characters goes, for example, α means 1, β means 2, δ means
4, and 0 means 0. Note how υπορροή (hyporroe) has the
number 2 instead of a letter. That’s because υπορροή is the
only character that descends two notes one at a time, not two
at once. Take a look at Chrysanth’s explanation below. The left
and right are the same. An hyporroe is the same as two
apostrophe. If a gorgon is placed on the yporroe, it is meant
for the first apostrophe.
=
=
For the top row above, the ison and the two beats for the
yporroe go on the thesis (three theses, so three beats total).
For the bottom row, the ison goes on the thesis, the first
METHOD
― 25 ―
apostrophe on the arsis, and the second apostrophe on the

next thesis (two theses, so two beats total).
Examples with hyporroe.
 

 
  
Gorgon (γοργόν) does the same job no matter if it’s above or
below a character.
If oligon, petaste, and kentimata all do the same thing (go one
note up) why do we have three and not only one of them?
Because each ascents one note in a different way.
Oligon just goes up one note. Petaste goes up one note, but
with a flutter, with a little jump or jerk of the voice. Kentimata
goes up one note as if it connects the previous and the next
note in an easy flow.



You know that elaphron goes two notes down at once. What
if you want to go two notes up at once? In this case you can
use a combination of oligon and kentima like this:
METHOD
― 26 ―
  Both ascent 2 notes at once
 
By the way, any of the quality characters we talked about so
far, like psiphiston and grave also apply on the above two-
tone combinations.

Same as

What if we wanted to go two tones up at once, but still give
the flutter, jump, jerk of the petaste?
 
Ascents 2 notes at once, but
with the quality of petaste

Same melody in George Progakis (music professor at Halki
Theological School in Constantinople) Liturgy book (1911).
The book carries the Patriarchal Seal (ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΣΦΡΑΓΙΣ).
METHOD
― 27 ―
Τhe γοργόν below is always meant for the κεντήματα, so the

oligon is always on the thesis and the kentimata always on the
arsis.
   
=
                      
=

 


Note the δίεσις (sharp), ύφεσις (flat), and ψηφιστόν.
METHOD
― 28 ―
Elements of Echos—Συστατικά των Ήχων
Each echos is identified by four elements:

1. Βάσις Basis
2. Κλίμακα Scale
3. Δεσπόζοντες Φθόγγοι Main Notes
4. Καταλήξεις Cadences
Second Echos Plagal Fourth Echos

Ἦχος Β’ Ἦχος πλ. Δ’
Βάσις: Δι Βάσις: Νη
Κλίμακα: Χρωματική Κλίμακα: Διατονική
Δεσπ. Φθ: Βου, Δι, Ζω Δεσπ. Φθ: Νη, Βου, Δι
Καταλήξεις: Βου, Δι, Ζω Καταλήξεις: Νη, Βου, Δι
Pay attention to the gray intervals when chanting.
METHOD
― 29 ―
Remember, a martyria shows you which scale to chant.

μαρτυρία διατονικού Δι
martyria of diatonic Di


μαρτυρία χρωματικού Δι
martyria of chromatic Di
Ψάλλε (Chant).

small interval

big interval


But what if you want to change the scale (say from chromatic
to diatonic) in the middle of the melody?
Φθορά (Fthora)
Fthora (η φθορά, της φθοράς) is a symbol that switches
the melody from one scale to another.
The initial martyria tells you to chant chromatic intervals.

But imagine that you wanted a melody that descends
chromatically (as it is now), but when you go down to Νη start
ascend diatonically. You could change the ascending part with
a diatonic fthora on Νη.
METHOD
― 30 ―
Every time you see this fthora on Νη, no matter the martyria,
you know that you are in the diatonic scale of the Plagal of
Fourth Echos.

φθορά διατονικού Νη
fthora of diatonic Ni
This melody descents chromatically and ascents diatonically.

ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΦΘΟΡΕΣ
Ἦχος Β’ Ἦχος πλ. Δ’
METHOD
― 31 ―
Μουσικές Ἐκδόσεις (Music Publications)

Always prefer music books published in Constantinople
and approved by our Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The apolytikia below are from two books: the 1832
Anastasimatarion and the 1831 Collection of Apolytikia,
both by Hourmouzios Hartophylax and published by
Theodore Fokaeas.
Question: What’s on top of δι right above the music and what

does it mean?
Answer: It is the fthora of Second Echos (mode) for δι. It
means that the scale we are using (the intervals) are of the
second mode.
Apolytikion of Second Echos
METHOD
― 32 ―
 
Χαμηλή, 4 notes down.
Υψηλή, 4 notes up.
 
Never alone, “served” with
oligon or petaste.
Apolytikion of Fourth Echos

From δι we go down 4 notes to νη, one more νη for the
ίσον and then up to δι, 4 notes up. Note the fthora of
Second Mode on δι, which makes the melody to go by the
scale of the Second Mode (the interval δι—κε is small).
When υψηλή is not at the right
 
side, but middle or left, it goes
up 5 notes.
 
3 notes up.
METHOD
― 33 ―
Apοlytikion of Plagal of Second Mode
Apolytikion of St George
METHOD
― 34 ―
Kontakion
Κοντάκιον is the last hymn after Small Entrance. The one
below is the most common.
ται
τω
METHOD
― 35 ―
Listening to chanters
Find something of our teacher Konstantinos Priggos
online and hear it carefully. Keep the beat with your
hand. Do this once a week for as long as you like.
Εισοδικόν
Eisodikon is what we chant after the Small Entrance.

Δευ τε προσ κυ νη σω μεν και προ σπε σω
     

ωμεν Χρι στω Σω σον η μα αςΥι ε Θε ου

ο α ναστας εκ νε κρων ψαλ λον τας σοι Αλ λη

λου ι α
Τυπικόν (Typikon)
Typikon is a book outlining what and when priest and
chanters say during liturgy. The τυπικόν in effect today
is the ‘typikon of Biolakis’. George Biolakis was a
Protopsalt of the Patriarchate right before Nafpliotes’
time. The Patriarchate asked him to put together the
typikon which was published in 1888. Since then, all
Greek-speaking Orthodox churches have been following
that book.
METHOD
― 36 ―
Τρισάγιον
Τrisagion is another antiphonal hymn, in the sense that the
two chanters chant in sequence. It’s called Trisagion, because
it says άγιος (holy) three times (τρείς φορές). It was made part
of liturgy in the 5th century. The first melody is chanted twice
(it’s the same both times). The third time we sing it a bit
differently. The music is from our teacher Progakis’s book of
1911.
α’ ψάλτης then β’ ψάλτης
Δὶς (Τwice)
α’ ψάλτης
What are the symbols on Άγιος and Ισχυρός? How would you
chant it if they were not there? Think about the word
συνδοξαζόμενος in Ὁ Μονογενὴς.
METHOD
― 37 ―
β’ ψάλτης
α’ ψάλτης
β’ ψάλτης
Ιερέας (Priest): Δύναμις. (on tone Δι).

α’ ψάλτης
METHOD
― 38 ―
Χρονική Αγωγή (Tempo)

The following symbols (characters) tell us how fast or
how slow we should be keeping beat. Remember θέσις
και άρσις, χρόνος ένας. Every θέσις goes on the beat
(άρσις is when the hand goes up). How fast we hit θέσις
is regulated by χρονική αγωγή.
  Very slow
 Slow
 
Normal
  Fast
 
Very Fast (reading on a tone)
If no tempo is specified, assume normal tempo (not fast nor

slow, somewhere comfortably in between).
Chant Ταῖς πρεσβείαις slow, then fast.
Epistle—Απόστολος
The very fast tempo is special. It’s used when we want to
chant something so fast, it basically sounds like reading it on
a note, like the note Δι. An example of such a fast reading is
the Epistle (ο Απόστολος, του Αποστόλου), which we chant-
read every Sunday. The Epistle (and the Gospel) are chanted-
read always the same way: in melodic declamation or
recitation (εμμελής απαγγελία). The designated child student
chant-reads the Epistle on Δι, but on the scale shown. The
METHOD
― 39 ―
symbol next to Δι on our scale is called κλιτόν

(kliton) and basically means that Γα and Βου
will be higher, as the two διέσεις (sharps)
indicate.
Below is the Epistle for Christmas mass, taken
from an 1861 book published in Venice, Italy,
but approved by our Ecumenical Patriarchate.
The student first says the Προκείμενον, and
the Priest responds with Πρόσχωμεν, which
simply means “Let’s pay attention”. The
student then says the Στίχος (verse). The priest
responds by Σοφία, which means “wisdom”.
Then the student says the Πρὸς ... and the
priest again responds with Πρόσχωμεν. And the student then
reads the Epistle. The assigned student should always take the
Apostle book home for study. First read the text aloud, noting
accents and punctuation. Then try to read-chant it based on
the example below and by listening to patriarchal or
traditional chanters online.
METHOD
― 40 ―

Πα σα η γη προ σκη νη σα τω σαν
 The priest:

σοι και ψα λατω σαν σοι
 You say:

Προ σχω μεν
  
A λα λα ξα τε τω Κυ ρι ω πα α
 The priest:

σα η γη

You say:
Σο φι α
  
Προς Γα λα τας Επι στο λης ΠαυλουτοΑ
 The priest:

να γνω σμα
 Continue with Epistle

Προ σχω μεν
METHOD
― 41 ―
The word Ἀδελφοὶ and the final cadence are always read like
below. The in between cadences are based on punctuation—
a period is on δι, commas on Γα or Πα.
           

A δελ φοι οι ο τε η λθε το
       

πλη ρω ματουχρο νου ε ξα πε στη λεν ο
     

Θε ος τον Υι ον αυ του γε νο με νον εκ

γυναι κος γε νο με νον υ πο νο ο μον ι
         
να τους υ πο νο μον ε ξα γο ρα α σει

ι να την υι ο θε σι αν α πο λα βο
 
…         
μεν ει δε υι ο ο ο ος και
             
κλη ρο νο μος Θε ου δι α Ι η

σου ου Χρι στου ου ου
METHOD
― 42 ―
Ψάλλω versus Εκφωνώ

The verbs ψάλλω and εκφωνώ both imply singing, but
not in the same way. The chanter chants (ο ψάλτης
ψάλλει), and the priest declaims (ο ιερέας εκφωνεί).
Ψάλλω means that you chant a melody much like any
melody we learned so far. Εκφωνώ means you say the
text fast on a tone, much like the examples above.
Another example: the Δύναμις the priest says during the

Trisagion is declaimed simply on the note Δι.

Δυ να μις
Απόστολος και Ευαγγέλιο

According to typikon, after the Trisagion follows the
readings of the Apostle and Evangelion (the Epistle and
Gospel). Both have a special way of melodic recitation
(εμμελής απαγγελία).
Search ‘liturgy patriarchate’ online to listen how
Απόστολος is recited in the patriarchal church.
 
Δίεσις. Sharp.
Raises the pitch of the tone.
 
Ύφεσις. Flat.
Lowers the pitch of the tone.
METHOD
― 43 ―
Great Entrance
Μεγάλη Είσοδος is when the priest with the altar boys goes
around the church. Right before the actual entrance, the right
chanter (α΄ ψάλτης) chants the cherubic hymn, or
χερουβικόν. Musically, this is the hardest piece to learn.
Hard Chromatic Scale
This is another chromatic scale, the scale of

Plagal of Second Mode. Some call it the hard
chromatic to distinguish it from the soft
chromatic scale of the Second Mode.
The martyrias on the right is what you’d
ordinarily see in music scores to remind you
which note you are on (top part) and which
scale (lower part).
On the left side you have the φθορές which
tell you that from now on we chant these
particular intervals. Note the fthora for hard
chromatic δι. It looks like the fthora of the
diatonic δι only the spokes go the other way!
Πα—βου is small and γα—δι tiny. Try to chant
γα very close to δι. Βου—γα is a really big
interval.
The tetrachord (τετράχορδο) πα—δι is
identical to the tetrachord κε—πα’. The
diatonic and chromatic scales are comprised of two identical
tetrachords (thirds) connected together by a whole tone.
In the χερουβικόν that follows, we see a ζω sharp (ζω δίεσις)

that makes ζω—νη very close, and also the fthora of hard
chromatic δι (which can also be placed on πα’ and νη). No
matter which note carries this fthora (νη, δι, or πα΄), it just
tells you to chant the intervals above.
METHOD
― 44 ―
Two new character combination. First, the antikenoma with

single-beat (απλή) below it.

The antikenoma with απλή lasts two beats, that of ison and
that of the single-beat. The apostrophe goes on the άρσις (up-
beat) due to the γοργόν. Second, the argon (ἀργόν)—α
combination of gorgon (for kentimata) and klasma (for
oligon).
         
=
Χερουβικόν. Ήχος Πλ. Δ’. Πέτρου Λαμπαδαρίου (†1777)
METHOD
― 45 ―
ι χι
ο ο
METHOD
― 46 ―
β’ ψάλτης [Αλεξάνδρου Βυζαντίου (†1908)]
If the priest is ready for the Great Entrance, we simply say

Ως τον βα σι λε α των ο λων υ ποδε

ξο με νοι
Here we pause for the priest with the altar boys to come out.
   These symbols are pronounced

as ‘n’ or ‘ν’ in Greek.
Priest
Πάντων ἡμῶν μνησθείη Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ,
πάντοτε· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α’ ψάλτης

And continue
Α μην
METHOD
― 47 ―

3 notes down.
Θεοδώρου Φωκαέως (†1851)
Congratulations! You should be very proud of yourself! You

just chanted the most difficult part of liturgy.
Άξιον εστίν
We will learn it in two echos, Second and Plagal Fourth. Το
συνηθισμένον, meaning ‘the usual’, is the most ancient
melody for Άξιον εστίν we know of. Below is an adaptation
from the book Pandekte of the year 1851, drawing from more
modern Patriarchal renditions (like D. Paikopoulos and B.
Nikolaides). In Constantinopolitan tradition, it is also chanted
in weddings as the bride enters the church.
METHOD
― 48 ―
Τὸ συνηθισμένον (Τοῦ Γάμου)
     

Α ξι ον ε στιν ως α α λη η η θω ω
           

ως μα κα ρι ζεινσε την Θε ε ε ο το ο
    

ο κον την α ει μα κα α ρι στο ο ονκαι πα

να μω ω μη η η το ο ον και μη τε ε ε
   

ρα του Θε ου ου η η η μω ω ων την τι
                   

μι ι ι ω τε ε ε ραν των Χε ε
     

ρου ου βι ι ιμ και εν δο ο ο ξο τε ε
   

ε ρααν α συγ κρι τως των Σε ε ρα α α
METHOD
― 49 ―
   

φει ει ειμ την α δι ι ι α φθο ο ο ρω ω
     

ωςΘε ον Λο γο ον τε κου ου ου σαν την ον
                 

τω ω ως Θε ε ο το κον Σε με γα λυ υ
            

νο ο ο με ε ε εν
A newer, but still serious and simple, melody.

     

A ξι ον ε στιν ως α λη θως μα
   
κα ρι ζειν σε τη ηνΘε ο το κον την α ει
     
μα κα ρι ι στον και πα να μω μη η τον και

μη τε ρα του ου Θε ου ημων την τι μι ω
METHOD
― 50 ―
        

τε ραντωνΧε ρου βιμ και εν δο ξο τε ραν
        

α συγ κρι τως των Σε ρα φειμ την α δι α
       
φθο ρως Θε ον λο ο γον τε κου σαν την ον
       

τως Θε ο το ο κον σε με γα λυ νο με ε ε ε

εν
Rest (Pause)—Παύσις
 
Παύσις. Pause.
A vareia (βαρεία) with a single-beat
(απλή) is a one-beat pause. You
just keep beat in silence, without
saying anything.
A vareia with a double-beat is a
two-beat pause, and with a triple, a
three-beat pause.
METHOD
― 51 ―
Κοινωνικόν
Κοινωνώ means I receive holy communion. Κοινωνικόν, the
communion hymn, is long on purpose, so that the priest has
enough time to prepare the holy communion in the altar. It’s
usually chanted slow for this purpose.
Placing the ίσον on top of the ολίγον

gives emphasis to the ίσον, as if the
syllable below it was accented.
Ἱερεὺς (Priest): Πρόσχωμεν. Τὰ Ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις.
α’ ψάλτης
 
  
Εις Α γι ος Εις Κυ ρι ος Ι η
              

σους Χρι στος εις δο ξαν Θε ου Πατρος Α

μην
Typikon says that only the left chanter (or β’ ψάλτης) chants
the κοινωνικόν. Some priests tap the holy chalice with the
spoon. The chime let’s the chanter know the priest doesn’t
need more time and it’s time to wrap up the κοινωνικόν.
METHOD
― 52 ―
Δοσιθέου Κατουνακιώτου (†1991)
β’ ψάλτης
If the priest needs more time, we repeat the above. The

letters in parentheses denote the ison (ἴσον). You can ignore
it for now, but we will teach it on page 85.
We are actually done with the bulk of the music for liturgy!
The rest of it is small pieces like Ἀμήν and Κύριε, ἐλέησον. We
will learn those at the second part, the liturgy itself.
We now learn about the eight echos and their apolytikia used
by rotation during the Great Entrance.
METHOD
― 53 ―
Οι Οχτώ Ήχοι – The Eight Modes
In Byzantine chant, any melody belongs in one of eight modes.

One melody cannot belong to two modes at the same time,
only one.
Every Sunday, the echos rotates. For example, imagine today
was Sunday and the echos was the First Echos. Next Sunday
would be Second Echos, the Sunday after that Third Echos,
and so on.
The words Ήχος, Mode, and Tone all mean the same thing.
The eight echos are categorized into 4 main and 4 plagal. For
now, don’t worry about making a distinction between what
the difference between main and plagals is. Note that there is
not Plagal of Third Echos, but rather it’s called Grave or Βαρύς.
Again, these are naming convensions, they don’t really have
any practical meaning.

To say in which echos a melody belongs to, you need to know

the elements that make up that melody.
Elements of Echos—Συστατικά των Ήχων

1. Βάσις Basis
2. Κλίμακα Scale
3. Δεσπόζοντες Φθόγγοι Main Notes
4. Καταλήξεις Cadences
ECHOS
― 54 ―
Echos belong into broader categories called γένη (το γένος,

του γένους) or genus (singular is genus, plural is genera or
genuses). There are three genera: διατονικόν, χρωματικόν,
and εναρμόνιον. The main characteristic of each genus is its
scale. For example, the scale we learned for the Echos πλ. Δ’
(plagal fourth mode) is the diatonic scale. This same diatonic
scale is used for all the echos that belong in the diatonic
genus. The same goes for the chromatic scale we learned for
Echos Β’ (second mode). The genera and their echos are:
Διατονικόν Γένος Diatonic Genus

Χρωματικόν Γένος Chromatic Genus

Εναρμόνιον Γένος Enharmonic Genus

Melodies can be slow, so that the priest has time to perform

his duties in the altar. Two examples are the χερουβικόν or
the κοινωνικόν. These slow melodies are called παπαδικά
μέλη or papadic melodies. As a neumonic device, think slow
melodies to give the priest (παπάς) time, so παπάς and
παπαδικά.
Other melodies are kind of in between slow and fast, like for
example the συνείθησμένον Άξιον Εστίν in Second Echos.
These are called στιχηραρικά μέλη or sticheraric melodies.
ECHOS
― 55 ―
And there are melodies that go fast, like Ταῖς πρεσβείαις.

Those are called ειρμολογικά μέλη or heirmologic melodies.
In this book we will concentrate on the fast melodies.
When we say fast or slow, we don’t mean the tempo (χρονική
αγωγή). We mean how many beats a syllable gets. If at every
beat we say a syllable, the melody is fast. If every syllable
stretches over many beats, the melody’s slow. Other than the
χερουβικόν and κοινωνικόν, we won’t learn any more papadic
melodies for now.
Γένος
Διατονικόν Χρωματικόν Εναρμόνιον

and
εναρμόνιο
Ήχος Α΄ Ήχος Β΄ Ήχος Γ΄
Ήχος πλ. Α’ Ήχος πλ. Β’ Ήχος Βαρύς
Ήχος Δ΄
Ήχος πλ. Δ΄
Next we concentrate on each of the eight echos.
ECHOS
― 56 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ
Γένος Διατονικόν
Μέλος
Ειρμολογικόν Στιχηραρικόν
Βάσις Πα Πα
Κλίμακα Διατονική Διατονική
Δεσπόζοντες
Πα, Δι Πα, Γα
Φθόγγοι
Καταλήξεις
Ατελείς Δι Πα, Γα
Εντελείς Πα Πα
Τελικές Πα Πα
The genus for this echos is the diatonic.

The heirmologic (fast) and sticheraric
(medium fast) have the same base and scale,
but the main notes differ. The main notes are
where cadences happen. So if the main notes
are Πα and Δι, the cadences will happen on
these notes (heirmologic). For the sticheraric
melody, the cadences happen on Πα and Γα,
because those are its main notes.
On the diatonic scale to the right, find the
base, the main notes, and the cadences for
each of the two types of melodies,
heirmologic and sticheraric.
ECHOS
― 57 ―
The following example is from the 1851 edition of Πανδέκτη.
Priest: Δύναμις
ECHOS
― 58 ―
The above is chanted instead of Άγιος ο Θεός a few times a

year.
Here’s how you should think about cadences:

ατελείς (incomplete)
The meaning of the sentence is incomplete, like when
you use a comma
εντελείς (semi-final)
The meaning of a sentence is complete, like when you
use a period, but it’s not the end of the group of
hymns.
τελικές (final)
The whole hymn or group of hymns is complete.
The following apolytikion is chanted at the Small Entrance

(when the priest comes out with the gospel book), when the
echos of that Sunday is the First. This is usually every eight
Sundays, since the eight modes rotate each Sunday.
ECHOS
― 59 ―
In all the melodic examples above, identify the genus, basis,

scale, main notes, and cadences (inclomplete, semi-final, and
final).
Below is an example of First Mode sticheraric melody. It is

taken from the 1832 Anastastimatarion of Hourmouzios
Hartophylax and Theodore Phokaus.
Note that instead of Δι, melody revolves around Γα. Note also
how some syllables last for more than one beat. Both, main
notes and slower melody, are characteristic of sticheraric
melody.
ECHOS
― 60 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΣ
Γένος Χρωματικόν
Μέλος
Βάσις Πα Δι
Χρωματική Χρωματική
Κλίμακα
Σκληρή Μαλακή
Πα, Δι Δι,Βου, Ζω
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Δι Δι
Εντελείς Πα Βου
Τελικές Πα Δι
Χρωματική Σκληρή Χρωματική Μαλακή
ECHOS
― 61 ―
We’ve seen a lot of examples of Second Sticheraric mode.

They sound like this.
Second Heirmologic mode is sounds like Plagal Second Mode.

Here’s an important fact to remember.
Heirmologic Second Mode, sounds like Plagal Second;

Heirmologic Plagal Second, sounds like Second Mode.
Sticherarics don’t flips like that, only Heirmologic.
This is an example of Heirmologic Second mode. It’s from the

1850 Πανδέκτη. The scale is the same as that of Sticheraric
Plagal of second mode.
ECHOS
― 62 ―
In general, when chanters say Second Mode, the first thing

that comes to their mind is Second Sticheraric, from Δι. Even
though the Second Heirmologic tone is not the ‘landmark’
Second Echos, it is an important version of Second Echos that
you should learn and be aware of it.
ECHOS
― 63 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΤΡΙΤΟΣ
Γένος Εναρμόνιον
Μέλος
Ειρμολογικόν &
Στιχηραρικόν
Βάσις Γα
Κλίμακα Εναρμόνιος
Γα, Κε, Πα
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Κε
Εντελείς Πα
Τελικές Γα
Unlike the Second Mode, whose heirmologic and sticheraric

are really different, the Third Mode heirmologic and
sticheraric are almost identical. The difference is that
sticheraric is slower than heirmologic, in the sense that in
sticheraric there are more beats for the same amount of lyrics
than in heirmologic. This distinction between sticheraric and
heirmologic, with heirmologic having less beats per syllable,
is true for all echos.
The following apolytikion and doxology are examples of

heirmologic Third mode.
ECHOS
― 64 ―
The following two fthoras are used often in the Third and
Grave Modes.
Συνεχής Ύφεσις. Continuous Flat.
 
Placed on Κε and makes Ζω flat. Persists
until reversed by another fthora.
                         
Συνεχής Δίεσις. Continuous Sharp.
Placed on Γα and makes Βου sharp. Persists
until reversed by another fthora.

ECHOS
― 65 ―
Note how Βου is almost always sharp, that is, really close to
Γα, the basis. This is called έλξις or attraction. Γα, a main note,
pulls Βου, a non-main or secondary note, closer to it. This is
indicated with a flat symbol on Βου.
 
Εναρμόνιος Φθορά. Enharmonic Fthora.
Placed on Ζω and Γα. Causes a switch to
the enharmonic scale above.
The word φθορά literally mean corruption. In byzantine

music, a fthora is a symbol that ‘corrupts’ the intervals of a
scale to something other than their natural state.
ECHOS
― 66 ―
The following is an example of Third mode Sticheraric.
Έλξις (literally ‘attraction’) is central to byzantine music chant.

It is found in all modes, not just Third Echos.
The main idea is this. Due to the melodic (rather than
harmonized) nature of chanting, main notes remain firmly at
their natural place. As melody unfolds around main notes,
secondary notes are attracted by the main notes. Above, γα,
a main note, attracts βου, a secondary note, sharpening it.
Similarly, κε flattens ζω. The attraction effect12 makes
chanting sound more ‘human’ (warm, natural) than a musical
instrument that can only play the rigid, inflexible well-
tempered scale.
12
The attraction effect was experimentally quantified by the author
using recordings of Thrasivoulos Stanitsas in his master’s thesis and
presented at the Journal of Acoustical Society of America (116, 2581
and 119, 3440, in 2004 and 2006, respectively).
ECHOS
― 67 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟΣ
Μέλος
Βάσις Βου Βου
Κλίμακα Διατονική Διατονική
Βου, Δι, Πα Βου, Δι, Πα
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Δι, Βου, Πα Δι
Εντελείς Βου Πα
Τελικές Βου Βου
When chanting the scale, start from Δι and down to Βου.

Some old chanters use this melody to help them get in the
‘spirit’ of Fourth heirmologic mode:

Λε γε τος
and they use the initial martyria above. Note

how the symbol contains the letter λ and Γ,
from the word λέγετος. Can you find them?
Note that the intervals for Δι—Γα—Βου are
the same in this diatonic scale with the
Second mode soft chromatic scale. The
difference is the interval Δι—Κε.
ECHOS
― 68 ―
Μνημόσυνα – Memorial Services
In the Greek Orthodox tradition, μνημόσυνον is a short

service typically done closer to the end of Liturgy that
mentions the names of our beloved deceased people. The
following short hymns are part of memorial services.
ECHOS
― 69 ―
The following example of the Sticheraric Fourth Tone comes

from the first chanting book ever to be printed, the 1820
Anastasimatarion of Peter from Ephesus. The symbols might
look slighly different, but they mean the same thing.
ECHOS
― 70 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΠΛΑΓΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΩΤΟΥ
Μέλος
Βάσις Κε Πα
Διατονική και
Κλίμακα Διατονική
Εναρμόνιος Μικτή
Κε, Νη Πα, Δι, Κε
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Νη Κε, Δι
Εντελείς Κε Πα
Τελικές Κε Πα
Ειρμολογικό Στιχηραρικό
ECHOS
― 71 ―
Samples of heirimologic melos include the apolytikion
In ειρμολογικό μέλος are also the following ευλογητάρια,

chanted during μνημόσυνα. They are called like that because
they all start with the verse εὐλογητός or ‘blessed’.
The following are from the Hourmouzios Hartophylax 1825

edition of Eirmologion (a book that contains eirmos, or short
hymns).
ECHOS
― 72 ―
ECHOS
― 73 ―
ECHOS
― 74 ―
ECHOS
― 75 ―
               

Αλ λη λου ι α αλ λη λου ι α α λη λου ι α δο
           

ξα σοι ο Θε ος και α ναπαυσον τον δου λον σου ου

ου ου ου
An example of sticheraric mode is Χριστός Ἀνέστη, which we

chant on Easter.
    

Χρι στο ος α νε ε στη η ε εκ νε κρων θα

να α τω θα α να α τον πα τη η σα α ας και

τοι οιςε εν τοις μνη μασι ζω ην χα ρη σα α

α με νος
ECHOS
― 76 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΠΛΑΓΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΟΥ
Γένος Χρωματικόν
Μέλος
Βάσις Δι Πα
Χρωματική Χρωματική
Κλίμακα
Μαλακή Σκληρή
Δι, Βου Πα, Δι
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Δι Δι
Εντελείς Βου Πα
Τελικές Δι, Βου Πα
Χρωματική Μαλακή Χρωματική Σκληρή
ECHOS
― 77 ―
Compare the totally chromatic scale to the left with the mixed
chromatic-diatonic to the right. From πα to κε they are
identical. Above κε, one continues to be chromatic, the other
mixes diatonic into it.
ECHOS
― 78 ―
Heirmologic Second Mode, sounds like Plagal Second;

Heirmologic Plagal Second, sounds like Second Mode.
Sticheraric doesn’t flip like that: Second Mode Sticheraric

sounds like Second Mode, and the Plagal Second Sticheraric
sounds like Plagal Second. This little inconsistency is only for
the Heirmologic (fast paced) melodies.
Here’s an example of sticheraric plagal second (στιχηραρικός
πλάγιος δεύτερος).
Heormologic plagal second (ειρμολογικός πλάγιος δεύτερος)

sounds like the second mode (δεύτερος ήχος). We’ve seen
many examples of that.
ECHOS
― 79 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΒΑΡΥΣ
Γένος Εναρμόνιον
Μέλος
Ειρμολογικόν &
Στιχηραρικόν
Βάσις Γα
Κλίμακα Εναρμόνιος
Δεσπόζοντες Γα, Δι
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Δι
Εντελείς Γα
Τελικές Γα
Third and Grave modes are similar. They use the same scale
and basis, but differ in their cadences. This echos is called
Grave and not Plagal Third, because another version of it,
called Grave Diatonic from ζω (to distinguish it from grave
enharmonic from γα) starts from ζω, which is the lowest base
among all echoi.
Here is Πάσα πνοή in sticheraric (Hourmouzios 1832) and
herimologic (Ephesios 1820).
ECHOS
― 80 ―
Ειρμολογικόν Μέλος
Note how must faster it goes than sticheraric above, even
though it’s the same text (less beats per syllable).
ECHOS
― 81 ―
ΗΧΟΣ ΠΛΑΓΙΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΟΥ
Μέλος
Ειρμολογικόν & Κατά Τριφωνίαν
Στιχηραρικόν Διατονικήν
Βάσις Νη Γα
Κλίμακα Διατονικήν Διατονικήν
Νη, Βου, Δι Γα, Δι
Φθόγγοι
Ατελείς Δι, Βου Δι
Εντελείς Νη Γα
Τελικές Νη Γα
With the help of your teacher, identify the similarities and

differences between the two scales.
ECHOS
― 82 ―
Example of sticheraric plagal fourth tone:
Third line down on αι we see the phthora of second mode on

δι. This means that from that point on, we use intervals of the
soft chromatic scale. On the next line on σοι we see the
diatonic phthora for κε. At this point we are done with the soft
chromatic and we resume diatonic again. In second mode
(soft chromatic scale), δι—κε is small, but in plagal fourth
(diatonic scale) δι—κε is big. Make sure when you say σοι to
give it a solid whole tone up.
Other than heirmologic being faster paced than stechiraric,
they are pretty similar in plagal fourth echos. All hymns we’ve
seen so far are heirmologic.
There is another version of this echos that has phthogos γα as
its base. We say that the melody progresses κατά τριφωνἰαν
διατονικήν, or according to diatonic triphony. Triphony
because we shifted three tones up, from νη to γα, and
diadonic because we are still in the same diatonic genus (the
melody didn’t become chromatic or enharmonic). In that
case, we imagine γα is νη, by placing the phthora of diatonic
νη on γα.
ECHOS
― 83 ―
Here’s an example of plagal fourth on diatonic triphony

(Χουρμούζιος 1825):
The martyria of echos at the top means that even though the
typical base for plagal of fourth is νη, we will go three tones
up and make it a triphony.
Another example, from Penticost (George Raidestinos, 1886):
We are actually done with all eight echoi. Congratulations!
ECHOS
― 84 ―
ECHOS
― 85 ―
ADVANCED NOTATION
This book aimed to introduce byzantine music notation to a

younger audience with an emphasis on hands-on, practical
learning of the liturgy. Even though all the essentials are
taught, some sophisticated notation was outside the scope of
the main material presented. We include some of the omitted
material here, for completeness.
Παρεστιγμένον Γοργόν—Dotted Gorgon

Each quantity character goes on the beat (thesis, or nock).
Between one beat and the next we have arsis. A gorgon
causes the quantity character on which it is placed to be
performed in the arsis, right in the middle of the two beats. A
left dotted gorgon causes the quantity character on which it
is placed to be performed later in the arsis rather than exactly
in the middle of the two beats. A right dotted gorgon causes
its character to be said earlier in the arsis.
The following examples, separated by vertical bars, all take
two beats, or two theses (knocks), shown below as down
arrows.
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
                
│
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
                 

│ │
A doubly dotted gorgon, left and right just heightens the
effect of the dot.
ADVANCED NOTATION
― 86 ―
Hyphen—Υφέν (connects) Fermata—Κορόνα (extends)

│
          
= │                    
Φθορές—Fthoras
Out of the 15 total fthoras, eight (8) belong to the diatonic
genus, and are placed from νη to high Νη, sequencially:
νη πα βου γα δι κε ζω Νη
Five (5) are chromatic:
πα δι δι (second echos)
Two (2) are enharmonic:
ζω & γα δι
Δίγοργον—Double Gorgon
Gorgon causes a quantity character, like the ison, to be
performed on the arsis. Double gorgon makes two quantity
characters go on the arsis.
↓ ↓

↓

↓
↓ ↓

Δίγοργον enables you to fit in two quantity characters in
between two beats instead of one. You can think about is as
ADVANCED NOTATION
― 87 ―
this (which we never do, for illustration here only)

two consecutive gorgons. Ιnstead of using two gorgons like

you can combine them into one symbol, the double gorgon.
Τρίγοργον—Triple Gorgon
Gorgon causes a quantity character to be performed on the
arsis; double gorgon causes two quantity characters to be
performed on the arsis; τρίγοργον or triple gorgon, you
guessed it, causes three quantity characters to be perfromed
on the arsis!
↓ ↓

↓

↓
↓ ↓

↓ ↓

Αργόν, Δίαργον, Τρίαργον—Argon, Double Argon, Triple Argon
Argon is a combination of gorgon and a klasma or an απλή
(single-beat); double argon is a combinatino of gorgon and a
διπλή (double-beat); triple argon is a combination of a gorgon
and a τριπλή (triple-beat).
                                               

│ │
ADVANCED NOTATION
― 88 ―
Character Combination
So far we’ve seen the most common characters combinations
that ascend (ανάβασις) or descend (κατάβασις), either at
once (υπερβατώς, denoted by letters) or one at a time
(συνεχώς, denoted by numbers). Here, a table from
Chrysanth’s 1821 Introduction to Music is provided for
reference.
The Greek numerals are:
𝛼΄ = 1 ϛ΄ (𝜎𝜏΄) = 6 𝜄𝛼΄ = 11
𝛽΄ = 2 𝜁΄ = 7 𝜄𝛽΄ = 12
𝛾΄ = 3 𝜂΄ = 8 𝜄𝛾΄ = 13
𝛿΄ = 4 𝜃΄ = 9 𝜄𝛿΄ = 14
𝜀΄ = 5 𝜄΄ = 10 𝜄𝜀΄ = 15
Character combination is not straight forward—it’s not like a

combination sums up to the overal ascending or descending
value. For example, sometimes oligon and petaste count
toward the overal sum and sometimes don’t. However,
petaste always gives its flutter quality to the combination.
Equality and Ascend Combinations
ADVANCED NOTATION
― 89 ―
Equality and Descend Combinations
ADVANCED NOTATION
― 90 ―
TEMPO AND RHYTHM
Tempo (χρονική αγωγή) is how fast or slow you keep beat,

that is, the time between consecutive theses. Rhythm
(ρυθμός) is the arrangement of beats into a pattern, no
matter how fast or slow those beats are.
The tempo (χρόνος) used so far (θέσις και άρσις, χρόνος ένας)
is sometimes called simple tempo (χρόνος απλούς). Double
tempo (χρόνος διπλούς), or double-counting of tempo, is
when we arrange the beats onto a pattern of two. Thesis and
arsis are not one beat anymore, but two beats.
1 2 3 4

χρόνος ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
απλούς
1 2 1 2
↑ ↑

χρόνος ↓ ↓
διπλούς
When you use simple tempo, you don’t need to worry how
beats arrange into rhythmic pattern. But when you use
double tempo, then inevitably some beats don’t fit into its
double pattern. This is because the music follows the
accentuated syllables of the text (τονική μουσική, tonal
music), so rhythm follows the text. Bar lines, borrowed from
staff notation, sometimes denote where the rhythm turns to
triple tempo (τρίσημος χρόνος).
| |3 |
In church we typically use double tempo, but in home practice

and learning, we use simple tempo.
TEMPO AND RHYTHM

― 91 ―
ΙΣΟΝ – DRONE
Ἴσον has three meanings. First, the quantity character we’ve

learned, that repeats the previous note. Second, the βάσις
(base) of an echos. Chrysanth says ‘we distinguish three kinds
of the fourth echos: papadic, sticheraric, and heirmologic.
Papadic has ison the note δι; sticheraric the note πα; and
heirmologic then note βου’. Third, it means the drone.
The teacher chanter chants the main melody. The student
chanter hums on the base note of the echos along with the
teacher. Because ison sounds softer than the actual melody,
kind of like how bees buzz, it is sometimes called a drone.
For example, the base (ison) of the first echos is the fthogos
πα. Ask your teacher to chant something we’ve learned so far
(or the doxology that follows) and try to hum on πα. That’s
holding the ison! If the echos was second, like Ταῖς
πρεσβείαις, you’d hold the ison on δι.
Ison is an important element of chant. One single ισοκράτης
(ison-holder) can make a world of difference. But be careful:
ισοκράτα με μέτρο (hold ison in moderaton). Do not hold ison
louder than your teacher. Holding ison on notes other than
the base of the echos is possible, but should be done rarely.
Advanced ισοκράτες sometimes mouth the melody syllables
along with the main the chanter, instead of just humming.
Ison is often denoted with the first letter of the fthoggos in a
parenthesis, e.g., (Ν) means hold ison on Nη. Older books
didn’t denote ison. In this book, all ison marks are my own.
Κανονάρχης (lit. the one who leads the canon), is a student
chanter who reads the phrase of a hymn fast before the
chanter chants it. Κανονάρχημα is on the ison of each echos.
Any drone-producing device is strictly prohibited by the
Ecumenical Patriarchate and should not be used under any
circumstances.
ISON
― 92 ―
Technical Notes on Ison (drone)

For any echos that their base is below (lower than) the main
notes (δεσπόζοντες φθόγγοι), the ison is held on the base—
‘ison’ and ‘base’ are sometimes used interchangeably.
Example 1: the basis of the first echos is the note πα, and the
main notes are γα and δι, both above πα. Therefore, the ison
for first Echos is the note πα. Example 2: the basis of the plagal
of forth echos is νη, and the main notes are βου and δι, both
above νη. So, the ison for the plagal of forth mode is νη.
Ison Changes—Εναλλαγές Ίσου
For any echos that their base is in between its main notes, the
ison note might change for musical phrases that have an
incomplete (ατελής) or semi-final (εντελής) cadence. For
example, the basis of the second echos is δι, which is above
βου but below ζω, its main notes. The gray color is a musical
phrase with a cadence on δι, so the ison is on δι. The dark
musical phrase has a cadence on βου, that’s why the ison is
denoted in parenthesis as βου, or (B).

Ταις πρες βει αις μας Θε ο το κου Σω τε ε
    

In plagal of forth echos, when the musical phrase remains

above δι, ison could change from νη to δι. In second mode, if
there is a baritone ison-holder that can sustain the drone on
the lower δι, there is no need to change to βου.
ISON
― 93 ―
ΔΟΞΟΛΟΓΙΑ – DOXOLOGY
Sunday services consist of two parts, Όρθρος or Matins, and

Λειτουργία or Litourgy. Δοξολογία is the last Orthros hymn we
chant right before Liturgy starts. Just like most of Orthros
hymns, it comes in all eight modes. Doxologies in the different
modes are a great way to get to know each echos in the
heirmologic melody.
We will study a ‘set’ of Doxologies, that is, tonalized in all eight
modes. This set of doxologies was tonalized by Peter the
Pelloponesian († 1777), Lambadarios of the Patriarchate.
Before we learn the music, memorize where the accent goes
in a phrase. Refer back to our accentuation rules. For every
doxology you study the music for, think how the melody
accents the syllables (tonalization).
The first verse is chanted by the right chanter (α΄ ψάλτης), the
second verse by the left chanter (β΄ ψάλτης), etc.
During the entire Doxology, chanters step down from their
στασίδια (chanter seats), and only step up after the priest
starts the Liturgy with Εὐλογημένη ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Πατρὸς.
ΜΕΓΑΛΗ ΔΟΞΟΛΟΓΙΑ
Δόξα σοι τῷ δείξαντι τὸ φῶς, Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ

γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία.
Ὑμνοῦμέν σε, εὐλογοῦμέν σε, προσκυνοῦμέν σε,
δοξολογοῦμέν σε, εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, διὰ τὴν μεγάλην σου
δόξαν.
Κύριε βασιλεῦ, ἐπουράνιε Θεέ, Πάτερ παντοκράτορ, Κύριε
Υἱὲ μονογενές, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα,
Κύριε ὁ Θεός, ὁ ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Πατρός, ὁ αἴρων
τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὁ αἴρων τὰς
ἁμαρτίας τοῦ κόσμου.
Πρόσδεξαι τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν, ὁ καθήμενος ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ
Πατρός, καὶ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
DOXOLOGY
― 94 ―
Ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος Ἅγιος, σὺ εἶ μόνος Κύριος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός,

εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός. Ἀμήν.
Καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν εὐλογήσω σε, καὶ αἰνέσω τὸ ὄνομά σου
εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.
Καταξίωσον, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ, ἀναμαρτήτους
φυλαχθῆναι ἡμᾶς.
Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν
καὶ δεδοξασμένον τὸ ὄνομά σου εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.
Γένοιτο, Κύριε, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καθάπερ ἠλπίσαμεν
ἐπὶ σέ.
Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε, δίδαξόν με τὰ δικαιώματά σου (γ' or
three times).
Κύριε, καταφυγὴ ἐγενήθης ἡμῖν, ἐν γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ. Ἐγὼ
εἶπα· Κύριε, ἐλέησόν με· ἴασαι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι ἥμαρτόν
σοι.
Κύριε, πρὸς σὲ κατέφυγον· δίδαξόν με τοῦ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημά
σου, ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ Θεός μου.
Ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς, ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς.
Παράτεινον τὸ ἔλεός σου τοῖς γινώσκουσί σε.
Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός, Ἅγιος Ἰσχυρός, Ἅγιος Ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς
(ἐκ γ' or three times).
Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. Καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς
τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Ἅγιος Ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
[The last trisagion is chanted slower, first phrase by right

chanter]
Ἅγιος ὁ Θεός,
Ἅγιος Ἰσχυρός,
Ἅγιος Ἀθάνατος, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ κόσμῳ γέγονεν, ᾄσωμεν τῷ ἀναστάντι

ἐκ τάφου καὶ ἀρχηγῷ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, καθελὼν γὰρ τῷ
θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον, τὸ νῖκος ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ μέγα
ἔλεος.
DOXOLOGY
― 95 ―
DOXOLOGIES IN ALL EIGHT MODES

By Peter the Lambadarios († 1777)
ΔΟΞΟΛΟΓΙΕΣ ΚΑΤ’ ΗΧΟΝ

Πέτρου τοῦ Λαμπαδαρίου († 1777)
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 96 ―
φυ
DOXOLOGY
― 97 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 98 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 99 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 100 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 101 ―
τον νον
DOXOLOGY
― 102 ―
ψο
DOXOLOGY
― 103 ―
Peter Peloponesian doesn’t have a doxology in Second Mode

Sticheraric. We provide the one below for completeness. It is
from Progakis’ Music Collection (Orthros—Vol. II, 1909). John
Kavvadas (†1899) was born in Constantinople. He was a
student of Hourmouzios Hartophylax and teacher of Progakis.
The Σήμερον σωτηρία is by me, because there was not one in
the book.
DOXOLOGY
― 104 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 105 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 106 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 107 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 108 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 109 ―
     
According to (Κατ’ἀπαγγελίαν):
Demosthenes Paikopolos

Ση  
με   
ρον σω τη ρι α τω κo     
σμωγε     
γoνεν α 

σω   
μεν τω α  
να   
στα  
ντι   φου
εκ τα   
και αρ χη γω

της ζω   
ης        
η μων κα 
θε λων γαρ τω θα να τω

τον θα α 
να 
τον  
το
νι κος ε      
δωκεν η 
μιν 

και τo
  
με γα ε ε
                                          
ε λε ο ο ος
DOXOLOGY
― 110 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 111 ―
σων
τον
DOXOLOGY
― 112 ―
ψο ο
DOXOLOGY
― 113 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 114 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 115 ―
σων
DOXOLOGY
― 116 ―
τον
DOXOLOGY
― 117 ―
ψο
DOXOLOGY
― 118 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 119 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 120 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 121 ―
ψο
DOXOLOGY
― 122 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 123 ―
τον
DOXOLOGY
― 124 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 125 ―
ψω
DOXOLOGY
― 126 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 127 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 128 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 129 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 130 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 131 ―
τορ
DOXOLOGY
― 132 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 133 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 134 ―

DOXOLOGY
― 135 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 136 ―
DOXOLOGY
― 137 ―
ΘΕΙΑ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ – ΕΙΔΙΚΑ ΘΕΜΑΤΑ

DEVINE LITOURGY – SPECIAL TOPICS
The liturgy of John the Chrysostom (taught in this book) is

chanted every Sunday of the year. Another liturgy, that of St
Basil the Great, is celebrated only 10 times a year.
Τυπικόν και Τάξις
Typikon is a book outlining when, who, and what is chanted
throughout the year. Taxis is the softer, oral tradition. As
example, typikon sets doxology as the last chanted portion of
orthros right before liturgy starts. Taxis suggests that chanters
step down from their analogion during the entire doxology.
Both chanter and priest should adhere to the typikon and
taxis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
You are Not a Church Musician, you are a Psaltes
A psaltes belongs to lower clergy. He uses music to clothe the
Word, which he understands and lives by. He is a community
pillar and teacher, the voice of the congregation, the carrier
of the ethos and hyphos of an ancient and sacred art, crafted
by saints. Music is a tool, not the purpose. The term ‘church
musician’ carries with it the connotation of being a musician
first and foremost, only ‘doing music’ for the church―as
there are chamber musicians, classical musicians, orchestra
musicians, there are also church musicians. Maybe this term
is suitable for church choirs with organ accompaniment, but
not for you. My approach is to provide a more wholistic
education and make you a chanter, not a church musician.
Μusical Instruments
Musical instruments are not allowed during any orthodox
church service. St John the Chrysostom himself banned
instruments in church (see Appendix). To play his liturgy on an
instrument like the organ is incompatible and inconsistent. If
you choose to count yourself among the chanters, not the
SPECIAL TOPICS
― 138 ―
church musicians, you can never, ever chant with instrumental

accompaniment.
Our Presence on Analogion
During liturgy, the priest represents God and the chanter
represents the people. You are the voice of the congregation.
Take the priest’s blessing before chanting; be clean and
groomed; if provided, wear a ράσο (frock), which should be
black with no other colors; pay attention to your teacher’s
chanting; hold ison.
Epistle and Gospel Readings
The Epistle and the Gospel are chanted always in melodic
declamation/recitation (εμμελής απαγγελία). The Epistle
(and Gospel) cannot be chanted in different modes. You may
choose to recite the Epistle from νη, or δι (see diagram
below). Either way, the intervals should follow the κλιτόν (see
notes and Epistle example in the Psaltic Method). For an
example of Epistle reading, search Ἀποστολικὸ Ἀνάγνωσμα,
Ἰάκωβος Ναυπλιώτης. Listen to it many times.
Priest’s Declamations
Ο ιερέας εκφωνεί και ο ψάλτης ψάλλει. The priest/deacon
declaims and the chanter chants. Priests should not chant the
supplications in different modes or in a long, elaborate
manner, but in melodic recitation. Who chants which liturgy
hymn has been regulated by typikon. Both the priest and
chanter should adhere to it.
Αncient Patriarchal tradition (πατριαρχική τάξις) requires the
priest to declaim on Δι and and the chanter to respond on Νη.
This fifth (pentachord or tertaphonia) sounds serious,
imposing, majestic (see diagram on next page).
You are not entertainers, you are PSALTES.

Respect Patriarchal taxis.
Be a Patriarchal Psaltophile!
SPECIAL TOPICS
― 139 ―
Epistle
Gospel
Priest Declamations
Epistle (δι κλιτόν)
Gospel (δι κλιτόν)
Chanter
Example:
Ιερεύς (Priest)

Ε τι και ε τι εν ει ρη νη του Κυ

ρι ου δε η θω μεν
Λαός (Chanter)

Κυ ρι ε Ε λε η σον
Don’t forget to hear patriarchal and other traditional chanters

chant the liturgy.
SPECIAL TOPICS
― 140 ―
A Chanter’s Liturgy Outline

This essential guide to liturgy should be memorized, if at all
possible.
▪ Δοξολογία
▪ Liturgy Starts
▪ Ἀντίφωνα
Ταῖς πρεσβεῖαις
Σῶσον ἡμᾶς
Ὁ μονογενὴς
▪ Μικρή Εἴσοδος
Σοφία. Ὀρθοὶ.
Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν
Άπολυτίκια
▪ Τρισάγιον
▪ Ἀπόστολος και Εὐαγγέλιον
▪ Μεγάλη Εἴσοδος
Χερουβικὸν (Priest with altar boys exit)
▪ Λειτουργικὰ
Πατέρα, Υἱὸν
Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν
Ἔλεον εἰρήνης
Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, Κύριος Σαβαώθ
Σὲ ὑμνοῦμεν
▪ Ἄξιόν ἐστιν
▪ Πάτερ ἡμῶν
▪ Κοινωνικὸν (usually Αἰνεῖτε)
▪ Θεία Κοινωνία
▪ Εἴδομεν τὸ φῶς
▪ [Μνημόσυνον]
▪ Ἀπόλυσις (Δι’ εὐχῶν)
SPECIAL TOPICS
― 141 ―
Η ΘΕΙΑ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑ
ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ
ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΥΣΟΣΤΟΜΟΥ
THE DIVINE LITURGY

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS
JOHN THE CHRYSOSTOM
LITURGY
― 142 ―
LITURGY
― 143 ―
THE DIVINE LITURGY
Ἱερεύς· Εὐλογημένη ἡ Βασιλεία τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ

τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν
αἰώνων.
Step up to ἀναλόγιον (we stepped down during Doxology)
α΄ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεύς· Ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Κυ ρι ε ε λε ε η σον
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῆς ἄνωθεν εἰρήνης καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν

ψυχῶν ἡμῶν τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Κυ ρι ε ε λε η σον
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου, εὐσταθείας

τῶν ἁγίων τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν πάντων ἑνώσεως
τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Κυ ρι ε ε λε ησον
LITURGY
― 144 ―
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἁγίου οἴκου τούτου καὶ τῶν μετὰ πίστεως,
εὐλαβείας καὶ φόβου Θεοῦ εἰσιόντων ἐν αὐτῷ τοῦ Κυρίου
δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐσεβῶν καὶ ὀρθοδόξων Χριστιανῶν τοῦ

Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου ἡμῶν [Archbishop], τοῦ

τιμίου πρεσβυτερίου, τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ διακονίας, παντὸς τοῦ
κλήρου καὶ τοῦ Λαοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Κυ ρι ε ε λε η σον
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς ἡμῶν ἔθνους, πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ

ἐξουσίας ἐν αὐτῷ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 145 ―
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, πάσης πόλεως καὶ χώρας,

καὶ τῶν πίστει οἰκούντων ἐν αὐταῖς τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ εὐκρασίας ἀέρων, εὐφορίας τῶν καρπῶν τῆς

γῆς καὶ καιρῶν εἰρηνικῶν τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ πλεόντων, ὁδοιπορούντων, νοσούντων,

καμνόντων, αἰχμαλώτων καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτῶν τοῦ Κυρίου
δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τοῦ ρυσθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης θλίψεως, ὀργῆς,

κινδύνου καὶ ἀνάγκης τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 146 ―
Ἱερεύς· Ἀντιλαβοῦ, σῶσον, ἐλέησον καὶ διαφύλαξον ἡμᾶς, ὁ

Θεός, τῇ σῇ χάριτι.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Κυ ρι ε ε λε ησον
Ἱερεύς· Τῆς παναγίας, ἀχράντου, ὑπερευλογημένης, ἐνδόξου,

δεσποίνης ἡμῶν, Θεοτόκου καὶ ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας, μετὰ
πάντων τῶν ἁγίων μνημονεύσαντες, ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀλλήλους
καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ παραθώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Σοι Κυ ρι ε
Ἱερεύς· Ὅτι πρέπει σοι πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις, τῷ

Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς
τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
FIRST ANTIPHON
Ταῖς πρεσβείαις is chanted three (3) times, starting

with the α΄ψάλτης then the β΄ψάλτης and
the last one by the α΄ψάλτης.
α΄ψάλτης·                 

Α μην
LITURGY
― 147 ―

    

Twice (δὶς)
α΄ψάλτης, the last one·
 
Ταις πρεσ βει αιςτης Θε ο το ο κου Σω
 
τερ Σω σον η μα α ας
Ἱερεύς· Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 

α΄ψάλτης· 

LITURGY
― 148 ―

α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὅτι σὸν τὸ κράτος καὶ σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ

δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα, τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου
Πνεύματος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
SECOND ANTIPHON
Σῶσον ἡμᾶς is chanted three (3) times, by the

β΄ψάλτης, the α΄ψάλτης, and the β΄ψάλτης again.
β΄ψάλτης·                 

Α μην


α΄ψάλτης· 
Δο ξα Πα τρι και Υι ω και
LITURGY
― 149 ―

Α γι ω Πνευ μα τι


β΄ψάλτης·
Και νυν και α ει και εις τους αι
     
ω νας των αι ω νων α μην
    

Ο μο νο γε νης Υι ος και Λο γος του Θε

ου α θα να τος υ πα αρ χων και κα τα δε
   

ξα με νος δι α την η με τε ραν σω τη ρι

αν σαρ κω θη ναι εκ της α γι ας Θε
         

ο το ο κου και α ει παρ θε νου Μα
        

ρι ας α τρε πτως εν αν θρω πη σας σταυ ρω
   

θεις τε Χρι στε ο Θε ος θα να τω θα να τον
LITURGY
― 150 ―
     

πα τη η σας εις ων της α γι ας Τρι α δος
  

συν δο ξα ζο με νος τω Πα τρι και τω Α
                        

γι ω Πνευ μα τι σω σον η μα α ας
Ἱερεύς· Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 

α΄ψάλτης· 

α΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 151 ―
Ἱερεύς· Ὅτι ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὑπάρχεις καὶ σοὶ

τὴν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ
Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
THIRD ANTIPHON
Right chanter chants Ἀμήν and the apolytikion of the echos

of that Sunday. Use a χρόνος (tempo) that gives the priest
and the altar boys enough time to exit the altar.
Apolytikia of all eight echos are in the Appendix.
ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ (ΜΙΚΡΗ)
Ἱερεύς· Σοφία. Ὀρθοί.
Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν is chanted by the right chanter

(α΄ψάλτης), unless there is more than one priest,
in which case it is chanted by the priests.
The β’ ψάλτης chants the end of it.

Δευ τε προσ κυ νη σω μεν και προ σπε σω
     

ωμεν Χρι στω Σω σον η μα αςΥι ε Θε ου

The end is chanted
by the β’ ψάλτης
ο α ναστας εκ νε κρων

ψαλ λον τας σοι Αλ λη λου ι α
LITURGY
― 152 ―

The same apolytikon chanted before είσοδος is also
chanted after, only faster. Then the apolytikion of any
feasts or saints, if any, the apolytikion of the Church, and

the kontakion. Exactly which hymn is chanted and in which
order, can be found in the annual edition of the Typikon of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The general template for ΜΙΚΡΗ ΕΙΣΟΔΟΣ is:
α΄ ψάλτης· Apolytikion of Echos (chanted slow)

Ἱερεύς· Σοφία. Ὀρθοί.
α΄ ψάλτης· Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν
α΄ ψάλτης· Apolytikion of Echos again (chanted fast)
β΄ ψάλτης· Apolytikion of seasonal Saint or feast day

Ἱερεύς· Μνήσθητι Κύριε (if memorial service)
α΄ ψάλτης· Apolytikion of Church
β΄ ψάλτης· Kontakion

See Appendix for all kontakia and apolytikia of echos.
Προστασία τῶν Χριστιανῶν, the most frequent kontakion,
along with Μνήσθητι Κύριε, are provided below.

Δεῦτε προσκυνήσωμεν and the kontakion are always
chanted by the α΄and β΄chanters, respectively, unless there
is a συλλείτουργον (sylliturgy, i.e., more than one priest),

in which case they are chanted by the priests.
        
Γα
  

Μνη σθη τι Κυ ρι ε ως α γα θο ος τω ων
        

δου λω ωνσου και ο σα εν βι ω η μαρτον
LITURGY
― 153 ―
            

συ υγ χω ρη η σον ου δεις γαρ αν α
      

μαρ τη τος ει μη Συ ο δυ υ να με ε νος
               

καιτοις με τα στα σι δυο ναιτην α α να πα αυ

σιν
ται
τω
LITURGY
― 154 ―
If kontakion is chanted by the priests, the β΄ψάλτης chants

the last sentence, i.e., Θεοτόκε, τῶν τιμώντων σε.
Ἱερεύς· Tοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὅτι ἅγιος εἶ, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν
ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν
καὶ ἀεί, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α΄ψάλτης·                

Α μην
LITURGY
― 155 ―
ΤΡΙΣΑΓΙΟΝ
α’ ψάλτης then β’ ψάλτης (twice)·
Δὶς (Τwice)
α’ ψάλτης (third time)·
β’ ψάλτης·
LITURGY
― 156 ―
α’ ψάλτης·
β’ ψάλτης·
Ἱερεύς· Δύναμις.
α’ ψάλτης·
ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΟΣ—EPISTLE
[Προκείμενον] Ἱερεύς· Πρόσχωμεν.

[Ὁ στίχος] Ἱερεύς· Σοφία.
[Πρὸς …] Ἱερεύς· Πρόσχωμεν.
A student appointed by chanter reads the Epistle
LITURGY
― 157 ―
ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΟN—GOSPEL
Ἱερεύς· Εἰρήνη σοί τῷ ἀναγινώσκοντι.
β΄ψάλτης·  

Αλ λη λου ι α αλ λη λου ι α
 
αλ λη λου ου ι α α α
Ἱερεύς· Σοφία. Ὀρθοί. Ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου.

Εἰρήνη πᾶσι.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Και τω πνευ μα τι σου
Ἱερεύς· Ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ (Ματθαῖον ἢ Μάρκον ἢ Λουκᾶν ἢ

Ἰωάννην) ἁγίου Εὐαγγελίου τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα. Πρόσχωμεν.
Step down your στασίδιον
α΄ψάλτης·
Δο ξα σοι Κυ ρι ε δο ξα σοι
Αfter the gospel, we step up the στασίδιον. Τhe

α΄ψάλτης chants the following on the same
tone the priest finishes the gospel
LITURGY
― 158 ―

Δο ξα σοι Κυ υ υ ρι ι ι ι ι ι ι

ε δο ξα α σοι οι οι
This is the right place for a sermon, though not mandatory.

The supplications Εἴπωμεν πάντες are omitted in the
Patriarchate and also omitted here.
Ἱερεύς· Ὅπως ὑπὸ τοῦ κράτους σου πάντοτε φυλαττόμενοι

σοὶ δόξαν ἀναπέμπωμεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ
   
A μην
ΧΕΡΟΥΒΙΚΟΝ
Πέτρου Λαμπαδαρίου (†1777)

Chant slowly and solemnly.
Ήχος Πλ. Δ’.
(N)
(K) (Δ)
(N)
LITURGY
― 159 ―
(Δ)
(N) (Π)
ι χι
(Ν) (Π)
LITURGY
― 160 ―
(Ν)
(Π) (Ν)
ο ο
(Δ)
ο
(N)
Step down from the στασίδιον. If the priest is ready,

(Ν) Βασιλέα fast like this
then the β΄ψάλτης chants Ὡς τὸν

Ως τον Βα σι λε α των ο λων υ

υ ποδε ξο με νοι
The following version is a bit slower in case the priest

needs more time. Ἀλεξάνδρου Βυζαντίου (†1908)
LITURGY
― 161 ―
Ἱερεύς· Πάντων ἡμῶν μνησθείη Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ

αὐτοῦ, πάντοτε· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
Step up το your στασίδιον. The β΄ψάλτης continues
                    

(Δ)
A μην Ταις αγ γε λι καις α
               

(Ν)
ο ρα α τω ως δο ρυ φο ρου ου

με νον τα α α ξε ε σι ι ι ιν Αλ λη

λου ι αα α α
The slower version below is in case the priest needs

more time. The composition is from
Θεόδωρος Φωκαέας (†1851).
LITURGY
― 162 ―
(Π)
(Ν)
Ἱερεύς· Πληρώσωμεν τὴν δέησιν ἡμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ.
α΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῶν προτεθέντων τιμίων δώρων τοῦ Κυρίου

δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἁγίου οἴκου τούτου καὶ τῶν μετὰ πίστεως,
εὐλαβείας καὶ φόβου Θεοῦ εἰσιόντων ἐν αὐτῷ τοῦ Κυρίου
δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 163 ―

α΄ψάλτης· 

α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Τὴν ἡμέραν πᾶσαν, τελείαν, ἁγίαν, εἰρηνικὴν καὶ

ἀναμάρτητον παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Πα ρα σχου Κυ υ ρι ε
Ἱερεύς· Ἄγγελον εἰρήνης, πιστὸν ὁδηγόν, φύλακα τῶν ψυχῶν

καὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Πα ρα σχου Κυ ρι ε
Ἱερεύς· Συγγνώμην καὶ ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τῶν

πλημμελημάτων ἡμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 164 ―
Ἱερεύς· Τὰ καλὰ καὶ συμφέροντα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν, καὶ

εἰρήνην τῷ κόσμῳ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης·
Πα ρα α σχουου Κυ υ ρι ι ε
Ἱερεύς· Τὸν ὑπόλοιπον χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ

μετανοίᾳ ἐκτελέσαι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Χριστιανὰ τὰ τέλη τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, ἀνώδυνα,

ἀνεπαίσχυντα, εἰρηνικά, καὶ καλὴν ἀπολογίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ
φοβεροῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, αἰτησώμεθα.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Τῆς παναγίας, ἀχράντου, ὑπερευλογημένης, ἐνδόξου

α΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 165 ―
Ἱερεύς· Διὰ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῦ μονογενοῦς σου Υἱοῦ, μεθ’ οὗ

εὐλογητὸς εἶ, σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ σου
α΄ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεὺς· Εἰρήνη πᾶσι.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεὺς· Ἀγαπήσωμεν ἀλλήλους, ἵνα ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ

ὁμολογήσωμεν.
α΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεὺς· Τὰς θύρας, τὰς θύρας· ἐν σοφίᾳ πρόσχωμεν.
Recite Πιστεύω on the base pitch (νη).
LITURGY
― 166 ―
Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα παντοκράτορα,

ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ
ἀοράτων.
Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ
Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς
γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· φῶς ἐκ
φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ,
γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί,
δι’ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο.
Τὸν δι’ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν
ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν
καὶ σαρκωθέντα ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας
τῆς παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα.
Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου
καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα.
Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς.
Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ
καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός.
Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρίναι ζῶντας καὶ
νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ
ζωοποιόν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον, τὸ
σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ
συνδοξαζόμενον, τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.
Εἰς μίαν [start the sign of cross with hand up], ἁγίαν
[hand down], καθολικὴν [hand right] καὶ
ἀποστολικὴν [hand left] Ἐκκλησίαν.
Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ
μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. Ἀμήν.
LITURGY
― 167 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Στῶμεν καλῶς· στῶμεν μετὰ φόβου· πρόσχωμεν τὴν

ἁγίαν ἀναφορὰν ἐν εἰρήνῃ προσφέρειν.
α΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεὺς· Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη

τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος,
εἴη μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.
β΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεύς· Ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας.
α΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεὺς· Εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ.
β΄ψάλτης·
(Π) (Ν)
LITURGY
― 168 ―
Ἱερεύς· Τὸν ἐπινίκιον ὕμνον ᾄδοντα, βοῶντα, κεκραγότα καὶ

λέγοντα.
α΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεύς· Λάβετε, φάγετε, τοῦτό μού ἐστι τὸ σῶμα, τὸ ὑπὲρ

ὑμῶν κλώμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
β΄ψάλτης·
LITURGY
― 169 ―
Ἱερεύς· Πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες· τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ αἷμά μου, τὸ τῆς

καινῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς
ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
α΄ψάλτης·
(Π) (Ν)
Ἱερεύς· Τὰ σὰ ἐκ τῶν σῶν σοὶ προσφέρομεν κατὰ πάντα καὶ

διὰ πάντα.
Step down from στασίδιον and bow your head
β΄ψάλτης·
Ἱερεύς· Ἐξαιρέτως τῆς παναγίας, ἀχράντου,

ὑπερευλογημένης, ἐνδόξου, δεσποίνης ἡμῶν Θεοτόκου καὶ
ἀειπαρθένου Μαρίας.
Do not step up to στασίδιον yet
LITURGY
― 170 ―
α΄ψάλτης·

     

A ξι ον ε στιν ως α λη θως μα
    
κα ρι ζειν σε τη ηνΘε ο το κον την α ει
             

μα κα ρι ι στον και πα να μω μη η τον και

μη τε ρα του ου Θε ου ημων την τι μι ω
        

τε ραντωνΧε ρου βιμ και εν δο ξο τε ραν
        

α συγ κρι τως των Σε ρα φιμ την α δι α
       
φθο ρως Θε ον λο ο γον τε κου σαν την ον
       

τως Θε ο το ο κον σε με γα λυ νο με ε ε ε

εν
LITURGY
― 171 ―
Alternatively, you can chant ‘the usual’

of the Patriarchal tradition
Τὸ συνηθισμένον
     

Α ξι ον ε στιν ως α α λη η η θω ω
           

ως μα κα ρι ζεινσε την Θε ε ε ο το ο
    

ο κον την α ει μα κα α ρι στο ο ονκαι πα

να μω ω μη η η το ο ον και μη τε ε ε
   

ρα του Θε ου ου η η η μω ω ων την τι
                   

μι ι ι ω τε ε ε ραν των Χε ε
     

ρου ου βι ι ιμ και εν δο ο ο ξο τε ε
LITURGY
― 172 ―
   

ε ρααν α συγ κρι τως των Σε ε ρα α α
   

φει ει ειμ την α δι ι ι α φθο ο ο ρω ω
     

ωςΘε ον Λο γο ον τε κου ου ου σαν την ον
                 

τω ω ως Θε ε ο το κον Σε με γα λυ υ
           

νο ο ο με ε ε εν
Step up to the στασίδιον
Ἱερεύς· Ἐν πρώτοις μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου

ἡμῶν [Archbishop], ὃν χάρισαι ταῖς ἁγίαις σου Ἐκκλησίαις ἐν
εἰρήνῃ, σῷον, ἔντιμον, ὑγιᾶ, μακροημερεύοντα καὶ
ὀρθοτομοῦντα τὸν λόγον τῆς σῆς ἀληθείας.
β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 173 ―
Ἱερεύς· Καὶ ὧν ἕκαστος κατὰ διάνοιαν ἔχει καὶ πάντων καὶ

πασῶν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Και παν των και πα σων
Ἱερεύς· Καὶ δὸς ἡμῖν ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι καὶ μιᾷ καρδίᾳ δοξάζειν
καὶ ἀνυμνεῖν τὸ πάντιμον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπὲς ὄνομά σου, τοῦ
Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ
εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
β΄ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεύς· Καὶ ἔσται τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος

ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Και με τα του πνευ μα τος σου
Ἱερεύς· Πάντων τῶν ἁγίων μνημονεύσαντες, ἔτι καὶ ἔτι ἐν

εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 174 ―
Ἱερεύς· Ὑπὲρ τῶν προσκομισθέντων καὶ ἁγιασθέντων τιμίων

Δώρων τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ὅπως ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ προσδεξάμενος

αὐτὰ εἰς τὸ ἅγιον καὶ ὑπερουράνιον καὶ νοερὸν αὐτοῦ
θυσιαστήριον, εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας πνευματικῆς,
ἀντικαταπέμψῃ ἡμῖν τὴν θείαν χάριν καὶ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ
Ἁγίου Πνεύματος δεηθῶμεν.
β΄ψάλτης· 

β΄ψάλτης· 

β΄ψάλτης· 
LITURGY
― 175 ―
Ἱερεύς· Τὴν ἡμέραν πᾶσαν τελείαν, ἁγίαν, εἰρηνικὴν καὶ

ἀναμάρτητον παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Ἄγγελον εἰρήνης, πιστὸν ὁδηγόν, φύλακα τῶν ψυχῶν

καὶ τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Συγγνώμην καὶ ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν καὶ τῶν

πλημμελημάτων ἡμῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Τὰ καλὰ καὶ συμφέροντα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν καὶ

εἰρήνην τῷ κόσμῳ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Πα ρα α σχουου Κυ υ ρι ι ε
LITURGY
― 176 ―
Ἱερεύς· Τὸν ὑπόλοιπον χρόνον τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ

μετανοίᾳ ἐκτελέσαι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Χριστιανὰ τὰ τέλη τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, ἀνώδυνα,

ἀνεπαίσχυντα, εἰρηνικά καὶ καλὴν ἀπολογίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ
φοβεροῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἰτησώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεύς· Τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τοῦ Ἁγίου
Πνεύματος αἰτησάμενοι, ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀλλήλους καὶ πᾶσαν
τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ παραθώμεθα.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Σοι Κυρι ε
Ἱερεύς· Καὶ καταξίωσον ἡμᾶς, Δέσποτα, μετὰ παρρησίας,

ἀκατακρίτως, τολμᾶν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι σὲ τὸν ἐπουράνιον Θεὸν
Πατέρα καὶ λέγειν·
Recite Πάτερ ἡμῶν on the base pitch (νη),

like Πιστεύω.
LITURGY
― 177 ―
Πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ

ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ
θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τὸν
ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον καὶ
ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς
ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς
ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ρῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ
πονηροῦ.
Ἱερεὺς· Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα,

τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος, νῦν καὶ
ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α΄ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεὺς· Εἰρήνη πᾶσι.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεὺς· Τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ κλίνωμεν.
α΄ψάλτης· 
Σοι Κυ ρι ε
Ἱερεὺς· Χάριτι καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ

μονογενοῦς σου Υἱοῦ, μεθ’ οὗ εὐλογητὸς εἶ, σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ
LITURGY
― 178 ―
καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ σου Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς
τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α΄ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεὺς· Πρόσχωμεν. Τὰ Ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις.
Step down from στασίδιον while the α΄ ψάλτης chants
 
  
Εις Α γι ος Εις Κυ ρι ος Ι η
              

σους Χρι στος εις δο ξαν Θε ου Πατρος Α

μην
Step up to στασίδιον.
Κοινωνικόν, the communion hymn, is not always the

same. Consult with the Typikon of the Ecumenical
Patriarchate for which communion hymn should
be chanted that Sunday. However, Αἰνεῖτε
is the one chanted most often.
LITURGY
― 179 ―
β’ ψάλτης· [Δοσιθέου Κατουνακιώτου (†1991)]
In the Constantinopolitan tradition, if there happens

to be a memorial service, first we chant the 3
stanzas of ἄμωμος and the εὐλογητάρια
as follows. If the priest needs more
time, we also chant Αἰνεῖτε.
LITURGY
― 180 ―
LITURGY
― 181 ―
LITURGY
― 182 ―
LITURGY
― 183 ―
LITURGY
― 184 ―
If there is enough time, continue with

εὐλογητάρια. If not, you can
chant them during
memorial service.
LITURGY
― 185 ―
β΄ ψάλτης·
LITURGY
― 186 ―
LITURGY
― 187 ―
LITURGY
― 188 ―
               

Αλ λη λου ι α αλ λη λου ι α α λη λου ι α δο
           

ξα σοι ο Θε ος και α ναπαυσον τον δου λον13 σου
ου

ου ου ου
Αἰνεῖτε τόν Κύριον is now chanted fast

(χύμα) on νη. If the priest needs more
time, chant it slow as above.
                   

Αι νει τε τον Κυ ρι ον εκ των

ου ρα νων αλ λη λου ου ι α
13
See Appendix for declensions of bold word endings.
LITURGY
― 189 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Μετὰ φόβου Θεοῦ, πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης προσέλθετε.
Step down from the στασίδι.
For as long as the priest transmits the Holy

Communion, the β΄ψάλτης repeats Τοῦ δείπνου σου.
Chant reverently and solemnly.
         

Του δει πνου σου του μυ στι κου ση με ρον
                

Υι ε Θε ου κοι νω νον με πα ρα λα
 
βε ου μη γαρ τοις εχ θροις σου το μυ στη

ρι ον ειπω ου φι λη μα σοι δω σω κα θα
      

περ ο Ι ου δας αλλ ως ο λη στης ο
         

μο λο γω σοι μνησθη τι μου Κυ ρι ε εν

τη βα σι λει α σου
LITURGY
― 190 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Σῶσον, ὁ Θεός, τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν

κληρονομίαν σου. [α΄ ψάλτης]
      

Ει δο μεν το φως το α λη θι νον
        

ε λα βο μενΠνευ μα ε που ρα νι ον ευ ρο

μεν πι στιν α λη θη α δι αι ρετοντρι α
              

δα προ σκυ νουντες αυ τη γαρ η μας εσω σε

ε εν
Ἱερεὺς· Πάντοτε· νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
Step up to the στασίδιον.
β’ ψάλτης· 
A μην
LITURGY
― 191 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Ὀρθοί· μεταλαβόντες τῶν θείων, ἁγίων, ἀχράντων,

ἀθανάτων, ἐπουρανίων καὶ ζωοποιῶν, φρικτῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ
μυστηρίων, ἀξίως εὐχαριστήσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ.
α’ ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεὺς· Ἀντιλαβοῦ, σῶσον, ἐλέησον καὶ διαφύλαξον ἡμᾶς, ὁ

β’ ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεὺς· Τὴν ἡμέραν πᾶσαν, τελείαν, ἁγίαν, εἰρηνικὴν καὶ

ἀναμάρτητον αἰτησάμενοι, ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀλλήλους καὶ πᾶσαν
τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ παραθώμεθα.
α’ ψάλτης· 
Σοι Κυ ρι ε
Ἱερεὺς· Ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν

ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν
καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α’ ψάλτης· 
A μην
LITURGY
― 192 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Ἐν εἰρήνῃ προέλθωμεν. Τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α’ ψάλτης·
Κυ ρι ε ε λε η σον Κυ
     

ρι ε ε λε η σον Κυ ρι ε ε

λε η σον
Ἱερεὺς· Ὁ εὐλογῶν τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε, Κύριε, καὶ ἁγιάζων

τοὺς ἐπὶ σοὶ πεποιθότας, σῶσον τὸν λαόν σου καὶ
εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου. Τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς
Ἐκκλησίας σου φύλαξον· ἁγίασον τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας τὴν
εὐπρέπειαν τοῦ οἴκου σου· σὺ αὐτοὺς ἀντιδόξασον τῇ θεϊκῇ
σου δυνάμει καὶ μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐλπίζοντας ἐπὶ
σέ. Εἰρήνην τῷ κόσμῳ σου δώρησαι, ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις σου,
τοῖς ἱερεῦσι, τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἡμῶν, τῷ στρατῷ καὶ παντὶ τῷ
λαῷ σου· ὅτι πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον
ἄνωθέν ἐστι, καταβαῖνον ἐκ σοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων· καὶ
σοὶ τὴν δόξαν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν καὶ προσκύνησιν
ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι,
νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α΄ψάλτης·                 

Α μην
LITURGY
― 193 ―
α΄ ψάλτης and then β΄ ψάλτης· (twice)

Ειη το ον ο μα Κυ ρι ου ευ λο γη

με νον α πο του νυν και ε ως του αι ωνος
α΄ ψάλτης·
         
Το ον ο μα Κυ ρι ου ειη ευ λο γη

The end is chanted by the β’ ψάλτης
με ε νον

α πο του νυν και ε ως τουαι ω νο ο ος
LITURGY
― 194 ―
ΜΝΗΜΟΣΥΝΟΝ – MEMORIAL14
Ἱερεὺς·
β΄ ψάλτης·
14
In the Patriarchal church memorial services happen only when
prescribed by Violakis’ Typikon. In Constantinople parishes they
occur often, but after Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου (see Violakis’ Typikon,
Triodion §9). The ἄμωμος and εὐλογητάρια are chanted during
communion hymn time. Μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων is typically omitted.
LITURGY
― 195 ―
Ἱερεὺς·
β΄ ψάλτης·
α΄ ψάλτης·
  

Με τα των α γι ων α να πααυσονΧριστε

τας ψυ χας των δου ου ου λω ω ων σου
LITURGY
― 196 ―

ε εν θα ουκ ε στι ι πο ο νος ου λυ υ υ πη ου

στε να γμος αλ λα ζω η η α τε λε ε ε ευ

τη η η η τος
Ἱερεὺς· Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου,

δεόμεθά σου, ἐπάκουσον καὶ ἐλέησον.

Ἱερεὺς· Ἔτι δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ ἀναπαύσεως τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ

κεκοιμημένου δούλου τοῦ Θεοῦ [priest says the names of the
deceased we commemorate] καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ συγχωρηθῆναι
αὐτῷ πᾶν πλημμέλημα ἑκούσιόν τε καὶ ἀκούσιον.
Ὅπως Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τάξῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔνθα οἱ Δίκαιοι
ἀναπαύονται, τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν,
καὶ ἄφεσιν τῶν αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν, παρὰ Χριστῷ τῷ ἀθανάτῳ
Βασιλεῖ καὶ Θεῷ ἡμῶν αἰτησώμεθα.

LITURGY
― 197 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.

Κυ ρι ε ε λε η η σον
Ἱερεὺς· Ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πνευμάτων καὶ πάσης σαρκός, ὁ τὸν

θάνατον καταπατήσας, τὸν δὲ διάβολον καταργήσας, καὶ
ζωὴν τῷ κόσμῳ σου δωρησάμενος, αυτός, Κύριε,
ἀνάπαυσον τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ κεκοιμημένου δούλου σου
[names of deceased], ἐν τόπῳ φωτεινῷ, ἐν τόπῳ χλοερῷ, ἐν
τόπῳ ἀναψύξεως, ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη, λύπη καὶ
στεναγμός. Πᾶν ἁμάρτημα τὸ παρ’ αὐτοῦ πραχθὲν ἐν λόγῳ
ἢ ἔργῳ ἢ διανοίᾳ, ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός,
συγχώρησον· ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ζήσεται καὶ οὐχ
ἁμαρτήσει· σὺ γὰρ μόνος ἐκτὸς ἁμαρτίας ὑπάρχεις, ἡ
δικαιοσύνη σου δικαιοσύνη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ὁ νόμος σου
ἀλήθεια.
Ὅτι σὺ εἶ ἡ ἀνάστασις, ἡ ζωή, καὶ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις τοῦ
κεκοιμημένου δούλου σου [names of deceased], Χριστέ ὁ
Θεός ἡμῶν, καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν, σὺν τῷ ἀνάρχῳ
σου Πατρί, καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ καὶ ἀγαθῷ καὶ ζωοποιῷ σου
Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεί καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αιώνων.
Ἀμήν.
Ἱερεὺς· Αἰωνία σου/σας ἡ μνήμη, ἀξιομακάριστε καὶ

ἀείμνηστε ἀδελφέ ἡμῶν. (three times – τρὶς)
Ἱερεὺς and then α΄ ψάλτης (twice)·

 
Αι ω νι α η μνη η η μη αι ω νι α
LITURGY
― 198 ―
 
η μνη η η μη αι ω νι α αυ τω ων η μνη

μη
β΄ ψάλτης (third and final time)·
 
Αι ω νι α η μνη η η μη αι ω νι α
             

η μνη η η μη αι ω νι α αυ τω ων η

μνη μη η η
LITURGY
― 199 ―
Ἱερεὺς· Τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν.
α΄ ψάλτης· 
Ἱερεὺς· Εὐλογία Κυρίου καὶ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἔλθοι ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, τῇ

αὐτοῦ θείᾳ χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, πάντοτε, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ
εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
α΄ ψάλτης· 
A μην
Ἱερεὺς· Δόξα σοι, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, δόξα σοι.
Ὁ ἀναστὰς ἐκ νεκρῶν Χριστὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ταῖς

πρεσβείαις τῆς παναχράντου καὶ παναμώμου ἁγίας αὐτοῦ
Μητρός· δυνάμει τοῦ τιμίου καὶ ζωοποιοῦ Σταυροῦ·
προστασίαις τῶν τιμίων, ἐπουρανίων Δυνάμεων
Ἀσωμάτων· ἱκεσίαις τοῦ τιμίου, ἐνδόξου, προφήτου,
Προδρόμου καὶ Βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου·15 τῶν ἁγίων ἐνδόξων
καὶ πανευφήμων Ἀποστόλων· τῶν ἁγίων ἐνδόξων καὶ
καλλινίκων Μαρτύρων· τῶν ὁσίων καὶ θεοφόρων πατέρων
ἡμῶν (τοῦ ἁγίου τοῦ ναοῦ)· τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις πατρὸς ἡμῶν
Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, τοῦ
Χρυσοστόμου· τῶν ἁγίων καὶ δικαίων Θεοπατόρων Ἰωακεὶμ
καὶ Ἄννης, (τοῦ ἁγίου τῆς ἡμέρας) οὗ καὶ τὴν μνήμην
ἐπιτελοῦμεν, καὶ πάντων τῶν Ἁγίων, ἐλεήσαι καὶ σώσαι
ἡμᾶς, ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος.
15
Somewhere here start chanting Τὸν εύλογοῦντα καὶ ἁγιάζοντα
ἡμᾶς. Chant soft enough so that you don’t overpower the priest’s
voice.
LITURGY
― 200 ―
α΄ ψάλτης·
              
Τον ευ λο γου ουν τα και α γι α

ζον τα η μας Κυ ρι ε φυ λατ τε εις πολ λα α

ε ε ε τη
Ἱερεύς· Δι’ εὐχῶν τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων ἡμῶν, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ

Χριστέ, ὁ Θεός, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς.
α΄ ψάλτης· 
A μην
THE END OF THE DIVINE LITURGY

ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΙΑΣ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΙΑΣ
LITURGY
― 201 ―
APPENDIX
ΠΑΡΑΡΤΗΜΑ
APPENDIX
― 202 ―
APPENDIX
― 203 ―
FAME OF PATRIARCH—ΦΗΜΗ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΟΥ
Φήμη or fame of our Ecumenical Patriarch is a short phrase

wishing him many years. Our current Patriarch is
Bartholomew. His name day (ονομαστήρια) happens to be
June 11, the day our church commemorates Holy Apostles
Bartholomew and Barnabas. The fame read like this:
Βαρθολομαίου τοῦ Παναγιωτάτου καί Οἰκουμενικοῦ

Πατριάρχου πολλὰ τά ἔτη.
And chanted like this:
       

Βα ρθο λο μαι αι ου του Πα να γι
 
ω τα του και Oι κου με νι κουΠα τρι α
   
α αρ χου πολ λα τα ε ε ε τη
It’s appropriate to chant the fame of the Patriarch at the end

of the Sunday liturgy of the week he celebrates his name day.
APPENDIX
― 204 ―
APPENDIX
― 205 ―
LIST OF PATRIARCHS—ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΩΝ
1748-1751 Κύριλλος Ε΄ 1841-1842 Άνθιμος Ε΄

1751-1752 Παΐσιος Β΄ (IV16) 1842-1845 Γερμανός Δ΄
1752-1757 Κύριλλος Ε΄ (II) 1845 Μελέτιος Γ΄
1757 Καλλίνικος Δ΄ 1845-1848 Άνθιμος ΣΤ΄
1757-1761 Σεραφείμ Β΄ 1848-1852 Άνθιμος Δ΄ (II)
1761-1763 Ιωαννίκιος Γ΄ 1852-1853 Γερμανός Δ΄ (II)
1763-1768 Σαμουήλ Χαντζερής 1853-1855 Άνθιμος ΣΤ΄ (II)
1768-1769 Μελέτιος Β΄ 1855-1860 Κύριλλος Ζ΄
1769-1773 Θεοδόσιος Β΄ 1860-1863 Ιωακείμ Β΄
1773-1774 Σαμουήλ Χαντζερής (II) 1863-1866 Σωφρόνιος Γ΄
1774-1780 Σωφρόνιος Β΄ 1867-1871 Γρηγόριος ΣΤ΄ (II)
1780-1785 Γαβριήλ Δ΄ 1871-1873 Άνθιμος ΣΤ΄ (III)
1785-1789 Προκόπιος 1873-1878 Ιωακείμ Β΄ (II)
1789-1794 Νεόφυτος Ζ΄ 1878-1884 Ιωακείμ Γ΄
1794-1797 Γεράσιμος Γ΄ 1884-1886 Ιωακείμ Δ΄
1797-1798 Γρηγόριος Ε΄ 1887-1891 Διονύσιος Ε΄
1798-1801 Νεόφυτος Ζ΄ (II) 1891-1894 Νεόφυτος Η΄
1801-1806 Καλλίνικος Ε΄ 1895-1897 Άνθιμος Ζ΄
1806-1808 Γρηγόριος Ε΄ (II) 1897-1901 Κωνσταντίνος Ε΄
1808-1809 Καλλίνικος Ε΄ (II) 1901-1912 Ιωακείμ Γ΄ (II)
1809-1813 Ιερεμίας Δ΄ 1913-1918 Γερμανός Ε΄
1813-1818 Κύριλλος ΣΤ΄ 1921-1923 Μελέτιος Δ΄
1818-1821 Γρηγόριος Ε΄ (III) 1923-1924 Γρηγόριος Ζ΄
1821-1822 Ευγένιος Β΄ 1924-1925 Κωνσταντίνος ΣΤ΄
1822-1824 Άνθιμος Γ΄ 1925-1929 Βασίλειος Γ΄
1824-1826 Χρύσανθος 1929-1935 Φώτιος Β΄
1826-1830 Αγαθάγγελος 1936-1946 Βενιαμίν
1830-1834 Κωνστάντιος Α΄ 1946-1948 Μάξιμος Ε΄
1834-1835 Κωνστάντιος Β΄ 1948-1972 Αθηναγόρας
1835-1840 Γρηγόριος ΣΤ΄ 1972-1991 Δημήτριος
1840-1841 Άνθιμος Δ΄ 1991- Βαρθολομαίος
16
Some Patriarchs were dethroned and enthroned back one or
more times; this is denoted with Latin numerals. Greek numerals are
name suffixes. For example, Νεόφυτος Ζ΄ (II) means Neophytos the
Seventh during his second patriarchal service.
APPENDIX
― 206 ―
LIST OF PATRIARCHAL CHANTERS

ΚΑΤΑΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΙΚΩΝ ΨΑΛΤΩΝ
ΠΡΩΤΟΨΑΛΤΑΙ
c 1453 Γρηγόριος Μπούνης ὁ Ἁλυάτης
1648-1661 Μανουὴλ Χρυσάφης ὁ Β´
1670-1685 Γεώργιος Ῥαιδεστηνός ὁ Α´
1727-1748 Παναγιώτης Χαλάτζογλους
1748-1765 Ἰωάννης ὁ Τραπεζούντιος
1766-1789 Δανιὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ Τυρνάβου
1789-1801 Ἰάκωβος ὁ Πελοποννήσιος
1802-1804 Πέτρος ὁ Βυζάντιος
1805-1819 Μανουὴλ ὁ Βυζάντιος
1819-1822 Γρηγόριος ὁ Λευΐτης
1822-1855 Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Βυζάντιος
1856-1866 Ἰωάννης ὁ Βυζάντιος
1866-1871 Σταυράκης Γρηγοριάδης
1871-1875 Γεώργιος Ῥαιδεστηνὸς ὁ Β´
1875-1905 Γεώργιος Βιολάκης
1905-1911 Ἀριστείδης Νικολαΐδης
1911-1939 Ἰάκωβος Ναυπλιώτης
1939-1959 Κωνσταντῖνος Πρίγγος
1960-1964 Θρασύβουλος Στανίτσας
1965-1985 Βασίλειος Νικολαΐδης
1985-2016 Λεωνίδας Ἀστέρης
2016- Παναγιώτης Νεοχωρίτης
Α’ ΔΟΜΕΣΤΙΚΟΙ
1911-1915 Δημήτριος Φωκαεύς
1916-1917 Νικόλαος Μαυρόπουλος
1917-1919 Δημήτριος Καραγιαννόπουλος
1919-1923 Χαρίλαος Φιλανθίδης
1924-1927 Ἄγγελος Βουδούρης
1928-1947 Ἀναστάσιος Μιχαηλίδης
1964 -1997 Ἰωάννης Χαριατίδης
1997- Μιλτιάδης Παππάς
2020- Γεώργιος Μπακόπουλος
2020- Γεώργιος Κιοσέογλου
APPENDIX
― 207 ―
ΛΑΜΠΑΔΑΡΙΟΙ
c 1453 Μανουὴλ Χρυσάφης ὁ Α´
1727-1748 Ἰωάννης ὁ Τραπεζούντιος
1748-1765 Δανιὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ Τυρνάβου
1766-1777 Πέτρος ὁ Πελοποννήσιος
1778-1801 Πέτρος ὁ Βυζάντιος
1802-1804 Μανουὴλ ὁ Βυζάντιος
1805-1819 Γρηγόριος ὁ Λευΐτης
1819-1822 Κωνσταντῖνος ὁ Βυζάντιος
1822-1827 Ἀντώνιος ὁ Ἀνδριανουπολίτης
1831-1855 Ἰωάννης ὁ Βυζάντιος
1856-1862 Στέφανος Μιχαὴλ ὁ Βυζ.
1863-1871 Γεώργιος Ραιδεστηνὸς ὁ Β´
1871-1888 Νικόλαος Στογιάννης ὁ Βυζ.
1888-1905 Ἀριστείδης Νικολαΐδης
1905-1911 Ἰάκωβος Ναυπλιώτης
1911-1916 Κωνσταντῖνος Κλάββας
1917-1938 Εὐστάθιος Βιγγόπουλος
1938-1939 Κωνσταντῖνος Πρίγγος
1939-1960 Θρασύβουλος Στανίτσας
1960-1965 Νικόλαος Δανιηλίδης
1968-1978 Ἐλευθέριος Γεωργιάδης
1978-1997 Βασίλειος Ἐμμανουηλίδης
1997-2016 Ἰωάννης Χαριατίδης
2016- Στυλιανός Φλοῖκος
Β’ ΔΟΜΕΣΤΙΚΟΙ
1931-1938 Πρόδρομος Τοπάλογλου
1938-1938 Δημήτριος Μαγούρης
1939-1946 Νικόλαος Συμεωνίδης
1947-1948 Γεώργιος Μαυράκης
1949-1950 Νικόλαος Τόλλαρος
1951-1954 Ἀνδρέας Πετρόχειλος
1954-1960 Δημοσθένης Παϊκόπουλος
1964-1982 Νικόλαος Δικαστόπουλος
1991-1992 Χρήστος Αγγελής
2001-2016 Στυλιανός Φλοῖκος
2016-2020 Γεώργιος Μπακόπουλος
APPENDIX
― 208 ―
APPENDIX
― 209 ―
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΑ—APOLYTIKIA
Ἦχος Πρῶτος (First Mode)
δο
Ἦχος Δεύτερος (Second Mode)
APOLYTIKIA
― 210 ―
Ἦχος Τρίτος (Third Mode)
το
Ἦχος Τέταρτος (Fourth Mode)
APOLYTIKIA
― 211 ―
Ἦχος Πλάγιος του Πρώτου (Plagal of First Mode)
APOLYTIKIA
― 212 ―
Ἦχος Πλάγιος του Δευτέρου (Plagal of Second Mode)
Ἦχος Βαρύς (Plagal of Third Mode)
APOLYTIKIA
― 213 ―
Ἦχος Πλάγιος του Τετάρτου (Plagal of Fourth Mode)
APOLYTIKIA
― 214 ―
APOLYTIKIA
― 215 ―
KONTAKIA
KONTAKIA
― 216 ―
KONTAKIA
― 217 ―
KONTAKIA
― 218 ―
KONTAKIA
― 219 ―
KONTAKIA
― 220 ―
KONTAKIA
― 221 ―
KONTAKIA
― 222 ―
KONTAKIA
― 223 ―
KONTAKIA
― 224 ―
KONTAKIA
― 225 ―
KONTAKIA
― 226 ―
ται
τω
KONTAKIA
― 227 ―
KONTAKIA
― 228 ―
KONTAKIA
― 229 ―
ANOTHER CHERUBIC HYMN—ΧΕΡΟΥΒΙΚΟΝ ΕΤΕΡΟΝ

Αλεξάνδρου Βυζαντίου17 (†1908)
(Δ)
(Ν)
17
Alexander Byzantine, music professor at Halki Theological School,
Constantinople (most acclaimed theological school in Orthodoxy).
The closing of the school in 1971 violates the human rights of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate, which tries to reopen it to this day.
CHERUBIC HYMN
― 230 ―
(Δ) (Κ)
(Ν)
(Β)
(Ν)
ο
(Π) (Δ)
ο ο ο ο 
(Γ) (Ν)
CHERUBIC HYMN
― 231 ―
ANOTHER COMMUNION HYMN—ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΟΝ ΕΤΕΡΟΝ
An author’s abridged and simplified version

Συντμηθὲν ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπλούστερον
παρὰ τοῦ ἐκδότου
Ἰωάννου Πρωτοψάλτου (†1866)
          
Νη
Αι αι 
 αι 
νει  ει  
ει   ει ει
ει  ει 
ει 
ει 

ει   
ει  
ει 
ει   
ει   
ει  
ει  
ει 
ει ει 

ει ει
 
ει ει ει
ει  
ει
  
ει ει ει
  
ει ει

ει ει
   
ει ει ει ει
    
ει ει ει ει

ει ει

      

ει ει ει ει ει ει ει χει ει ει ει

ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει

ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει ει τε ε ε ε ε
COMMUNION HYMN
― 232 ―
ε ε 
ε

ε
  
τον
     
Κυ υ υ υ υ υ
υ
 
υ


υ υ υ

υ
 
υ υ

υ υ υ υ υ υ υ


υ
υ  υ 
υ υ το

ο
 
ον Κυ υ υ υ


υ υ υ υ
  υ 
υ υ υ υ

υ υ υ υ
υ 
υ
υ 
υ
  υ  
υ
  υ    
τον Κυ υ υ ρι
ο
ο
                         
ο ο ο ο ο ον ε εκ τω ω ων ου

ου
 
ου
       
ου ου ου ου
   
ου ου
   
ου ου ου

    

ου ου ου ου ου ου ου ου ε εκ των ου
        

ου ου ρα α νω ω ω ω ω ω ω ω ω ω ω
    

ω ω ω ω ω ω ε εκ τω ω ω
COMMUNION HYMN
― 233 ―
     

ων ου ου ου ου ου ρα α α α
        
εκ των ου ου ρα
 
νω ω ων εκ τωνου ρα νων

αλ λη

λου ου ι α
 
α α αα α α α α α α

COMMUNION HYMN
― 234 ―
COMMUNION HYMN
― 235 ―
St JOHN THE CHRYSOSTOM ON ORGANS IN CHURCH
The organ is outside the canons and expressly prohibited by

the Tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Canon (κανών) means a rule or a standard and it is the result
of a Council (Ecumenical or Local) [1]. The organ [2] has never
been canonized in the Greek Orthodox Church, i.e., no canon
permits its liturgical use [3]. Chanters and by extension choirs,
however, have been canonized early on [4].
Orthodoxy, unlike Protestantism, is not sola scriptura; it is
based upon both Scripture and Tradition [5]. Early Church
Fathers are an important part of Tradition [6]. The early
Church Fathers vehemently and uniformly opposed the use of
musical instruments in the church [7]. St John the Chrysostom
(347—407 AD), the author of the Liturgy we celebrate for 16
centuries, is representative of the Patristic thought on the
issue of accompanied music in liturgical practice.
God allowed musical instruments in worship prior, but not
during, the Christian era, St John says, due to the ‘thickness of
their intellect and that they have just been separated from the
idols. Just like God forgave animal sacrifices, He also allowed
these [ὄργανα, i.e., musical instruments], being
understanding to their own sickness’ [8].
Psalm 150 [9] contains the well-known verses ‘praise Him with
cymbal and choir, praise Him with strings and organ …’. St
John advises us to take these verses allegorically, not literally:
“just as the Jews praise the Lord with all kinds of musical
instruments, that’s how we [Christians] praise the Lord using
all body parts (διὰ πάντων τῶν μελῶν), with our eye, tongue,
hearing, and hand. … Your eye praises when it sees without
sin; your tongue when it chants (ψάλλει); your hearing when
it doesn’t accept sinful songs (πονηρὰ ἄσματα), nor
ORGANS
― 236 ―
accusations about your brothers…and hands when they don’t

grab in greed …” [10]. Elsewhere he says “Here [in the holy
choir of God] there is no need of the cithara, nor taut strings,
nor the plectrum and the technique, nor any sort of
instrument; but if you wish, make yourself a cithara, by
mortifying the limbs of the flesh and creating full harmony
between body and soul.” [11] If we were to take the verses of
Psalm 150 literally, then we would be obligated to use not
only the organ, but all the other musical instruments
referenced, something never supported by our Tradition.
John the Chrysostom was not simply proposing a cappella. He
vehemently and consistently denounced instrumental playing
in church throughout his lifetime. He called aulos and cymbal
playing "the devil's heap of garbage" [12]. He went as far as
to say Ἔνθα αὐληταί, οὐδαμοῦ ὁ Χριστός, i.e., where aulos-
players, Christ nowhere. And continues ‘but even if He [Christ]
enters, first He will drive them [aulos-players] out, and then
He will work miracles.’ [13].
Here are some questions you can take to your local church
assembly, if they use an organ:
▪ The organ accompanies the Liturgy whose author
strictly prohibits instruments in worship. What is your
opinion about this conflict?
▪ The organ is non-canonical and anti-Traditional. Some
parish councils in the United States, upon assuming
office, vow publically to uphold the Canon and
Tradition. What is your opinion about this conflict?
▪ Οὐκ ἔστι θέατρον ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἵνα πρὸς τέρψιν
ἀκούωμεν [14], i.e., the church is not a theater, so
that we hear for pleasure (entertainment), St John
the Chrysostom said. Does the organ make Liturgy
feel more like a church or a theater?
ORGANS
― 237 ―
ENDNOTES
[1] The Orthodox Church—An Introduction to Eastern
Christianity. 2015. Timothy Ware. Ch. 10: Holy Tradition: The
Source of Orthodox Faith. Pg. 199.
[2] By organ we mean a musical instrument used in church.
[3] The Orthodox Church never canonized the organ, but, in
contrast, the Catholic Church did. Vatican II (1967), under
Instruction on Music in the Liturgy (4b): “The following come
under the title of sacred music here: Gregorian chant, sacred
polyphony in its various forms both ancient and modern,
sacred music for the organ and other approved instruments,
and sacred popular music, be it liturgical or simply religious.”
[4] The (local) Council of Laodicea (363–364), canon 15 says
“Περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν πλὴν τῶν κανονικῶν ψαλτῶν, τῶν ἐπὶ τὸν
ἄμβωνα ἀναβαινόντων καὶ ἀπὸ διφθέρας ψαλλόντων,
ἑτέρους τινὰς ψάλλειν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ.” Translation: “No one is
to chant in the church except for the canonized chanters,
those who get up on the ambo and chant from parchment”.
The sixth Ecumenical Council (680-681), canon 75 reminds the
chanters to restrain from forcing their voice high and stick to
tradition. The word ψάλτης appears 14 times in the first seven
Ecumenical Councils and Apostolic Canons.
[5] Holy Tradition is typically referred to as ‘Tradition’ to be
distinguished from ‘traditions’, which may be local customs,
rituals, or beliefs.
[6] The Orthodox Church—An Introduction to Eastern
Christianity. 2015. Timothy Ware. Ch. 10: Holy Tradition: The
Source of Orthodox Faith. Pg. 190. “It [Tradition] means the
books of the Bible; it means the Creed; it means the decrees
of the Ecumenical Councils and the writings of the Fathers; it
means the Canons, the Service Books, the Holy Icons—in fact,
ORGANS
― 238 ―
the whole system of doctrine, Church Government, worship,

spirituality and art which Orthodoxy has articulated over the
ages”.
[7] The Meaning of the Patristic Polemic Against Musical
Instruments. 1965. The Temple, the Church Fathers and Early
Western Chant, Current Musicology. James McKinnon.
[8] PG 55, 494. All Patrologia Greaca can be found at
http://patristica.net/graeca/
[9] Psalm 150 according to the Septuagint is Psalm 149
according to the Masoretic.
[10] PG 55 497. Note how St John uses chanting for the tongue
and not offending songs for hearing.
[11] PG 55 158. English translation taken from Music in Early
Christian Literature, Cambridge University Press, James
McKinnon (1993), pg. 81.
[12] PG 61 103.
[13] PG 62 389.
[14] PG 49 38.
[15] For a comparison between byzantine chant and western

music, refer to Fr. Ephraim’s Introduction, found on St.
Anthony’s Monastery in Arizona web site.
ORGANS
― 239 ―
PATRIARCHAL ENCYCLICAL ON ELECTRONICS
In an Encyclical (Protocol No. 615) to the Metropolis of Imbros

and Tenedos, an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Throne, dated
June 20, 2018, his All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew, expressly prohibits any and all use of electronic
devices (naming specifically phones, tablets, and computers)
on the analogion.
The encyclical urges Metropolitan Cyril to inform his clergy of
the Holy and Sacred Synod’s decision that from now on, the
substitution of the liturgical books of our church by electronic
devices during services on the analogion, is judged, because it
is entirely contradictory to the taxis, deplorable and
scandalizing to the faithful. It concludes by saying that the use
of such technical media should be completely avoided in the
churches and services, because they ultimately lead to the
secularization of the liturgical life.
DECLENSIONS FOR MEMORIAL
During memorial services, the priest has to change the last

syllable of certain words (bold font in liturgical text),
depending on the gender (male or female) and number
(singular or plural). Here are all the possible declensions of
these words.
MALE FEMALE MALE & FEMALE FEMALE ONLY

SINGULAR SINGULAR PLURAL PLURAL
ψυχῆς ψυχῆς ψυχῶν ψυχῶν

κεκοιμημένου κεκοιμημένης κεκοιμημένων κεκοιμημένων
αὐτῷ αὐτῇ αὐτοῖς αὐταῖς
δούλου δούλης δούλων δούλων
ἀξιομακάριστε ἀξιομακάριστη ἀξιομακάριστοι ἀξιομακάρισται
ἀείμνηστε ἀείμνηστη ἀείμνηστοι ἀείμνησται
ἀδελφέ ἀδελφή ἀδελφοί ἀδελφαί
APPENDIX
― 240 ―
APPENDIX
― 241 ―
BEYOND THIS BOOK
This book covers only the basics of byzantine music chant. If

you continue beyond the material in this book, the best piece
of advice I could ever possibly give you is this:
The Patriarchal chanting tradition should be your

compass on all matters chanting.
For centuries, Patriarchal chanters (or ‘the teachers’) handed

down the ancient art of chanting to their apprentices within
the Patriarchal church18. Melodies chanted today in the
Patriarchal church of St George in Constantinople, sound like
they did centuries ago. Other congregations were more
interested in adjusting the melody to fit the everchanging
tastes of local parishioners; the Patriarchal church was more
interested in preserving the ancient melodies. This high-
fidelity melodic preservation is a unique characteristic of the
Patriarchal church.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the διδασκαλεῖον (school).
Recordings of Patriarchal chanters, books approved by the
Patriarchate, chanters that uphold the Patriarchal tradition
and the priests that support them, all are good examples of
what you should keep an eye out for.
The importance of listening to traditional chanters cannot be
overemphasized. You need to seek and try to imitate
recorded liturgies from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Listening
is the most important part of being a chanter, much more so
than reading music.
18
Due to political reasons, the Patriarchal church moved around. It
was once located at the great church of Hagia Sophia, hence the title
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate as The Great Church of Christ. Since
1601, the church of St George in the Fener (Φανάριον) district of
Istanbul (Constantinople), Turkey, is the Patriarchal church.
APPENDIX
― 242 ―
APPENDIX
― 243 ―
BE A PATRIARCHAL PSALTOPHILE
Patriarchal chanting tradition is not an exclusive club. Our

Patriarchate is Ecumenical, above barriers like nationality,
language, race, East or West. People of different ethnicities
and languages (Africans, Arabs, Bulgarians, Romanians,
Romans, Russians, Serbians, to name a few) have embraced
Byzantine chant at one time or another. Its ‘majestic
simplicity’ is sacred music’s best kept secret. It’s a timeless
classic—as fresh in Constantinople today, as it was in
Jerusalem five centuries ago, as it could be in the United
States a hundred years from today.
Being a Patriarchal Psaltophile is not about color, language, or
nationality. There is no organized group to subscribe to and
no dues to pay. It’s an inner commitment to uphold a higher
standard—the Patriarchal chanting tradition.
It’s easy to musically ‘let yourself go’, bounded only by the
contemporary tastes of your geographical region. What’s
hard, is to hold yourself up to a higher musical standard. By
respecting the ancient and sacred institution of the
Patriarchal chanting tradition, you automatically already are a
Patriarchal Psaltophile.
In practical terms, being a Patriarchal Psaltophile, means that
you accept the Patriarchal chanting tradition as the final
arbiter for all and any chanting-related disputes.
For example, suppose a chanter friend opts to use a drone
generator (ὀργανικός ἰσοκράτης), or an organ, or a tablet
instead of books, or use polyphonic instead of monodic music.
A Patriarchal Psaltophile cannot participate in these activities,
because none of them are acceptable in the Patriarchal
chanting tradition. It’s not a dispute anymore, it’s a matter of
a conscious choice to abide by the highest known chanting
standards.
APPENDIX
― 244 ―
APPENDIX
― 245 ―
ΥΦΟΣ—HYPHOS
Patriarchal hyphos
Constantinopolitan hyphos
Asia Minor hyphos
Mount Athos hyphos
Thessalonian hyphos
Jerusalem/Antiochian hyphos
Smyrna hyphos
Athenian hyphos
Hyphos is how and what you chant.

How you chant includes things like appropriate tempo for
different hymns, how you perform the quality characters,
understanding the ‘ethos’ of different hymns like majestic or
mystic, analysis of musical phrases, emphasizing accented
syllables or words, pronunciation and annunciation, how
voice is carried (vibrato, round vs nasal vowels), how Eastern
or Western you sound, how you ascent or descent your
seconds, thirds, forths, how you attack the melodic line, etc.
Hyphos is an elusive term, not easy to define; it’s your
chanting style. Two chanters may be reading the same music
and sound very different from each other. This is due to their
hyphos difference. On paper, they chant the same music (the
‘what’), but they perform it differently (the ‘how’). Seasoned
chanters say that hyphos is ‘air’ and cannot be written
down19. To aqcuire a specific hyphos, one needs to be
apprenticed to a teacher of that hyphos from a young age and
for several years.
19
“Hyphos is indescribable, since it is air” says Theodore Phokaeus
in his famous mid-nineteenth century teaching manual [Krepis,
1872, page 6, footnote (a)], the method I was actually taught from.
YPHOS
― 246 ―
What you chant, on the other hand, refers to the (written or

oral) music you use. Some refer to what as ‘tradition’, as in
the Patriarchal church tradition. The Patriarchal hyphos has a
regulatory authority, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which
restricts what music can and cannot be used20 in the
Patriarchal church. In general, only music composed by
former Patriarchal chanters can be used in the Patriarchal
church. For all hyphos other than Patriarchal, what you chant
is not regulated—it’s up to the local church to choose what
music to chant. For example, the so-called Constantinopolitan
yphos (all parishes belonging to the Ecumemenical
Patriarchate, but the Patriarchal Church) boasts an identical
how, but more relaxed what, compared to the Patriarchal
hyphos.
The restrictions by the Patriarchate on hyphos are not
arbitrary. They are geared towards preserving a music
majestic enough for Byzantine emperors, yet simple enough
for prayer. Majestic simplicity is the hallmark of the
Patriarchal hyphos. This emphasis on preservation rather than
easthetics, carried over the ancient melodies up to our days
with the highest fidelity possible, almost exclusively in the
Patriarchal church.
With no musical limits, or a framework of allowable limits,
music composition is bound only by aesthetics (what people
of that particular time and place find enjoyable) and the
composer’s imagination. This led to a wide spectrum of
diffenrences in hyphos, some of which you can see in the
diagram above.
Note how the Patriarchal hyphos is at the core, with
Constantinopolitan including parts of the Patriarchal, like the
how, but also including other elements of what. Between
20
For example, the Patriarchal Encyclical of 1880 lists acceptable
music.
YPHOS
― 247 ―
these two kinds of hyphos, the ‘how’ of chanting is the same,

but the ‘what’ is different. To oversimplify, if you give the
same piece of written music to a Patriarchal chanter and a
chanter of another church in Constantinople, they will sound
similar. But, on a regular Sunday, the chanter outside the
Patriarchate has the freedom to chant music outsite the strict
limitations of the Patriarchal church.
All other examples of hyphos in the diagram share the
Patriarchal hyphos at their core, with different degrees of
separation as to the how and the what. Again, to oversimplify,
take a hymn like Σῶσον ἡμᾶς. If you hear it in the Patriarchal
church, or any other church in Constantinople, or any region
of Asia Minor, all the way down to the Greek-and-Arabic
speaking Middle Eastern provinces of the Patriarchate (of the
traditions of Jerusalem or Antioch), to Cyprus, Crete, or
Alexandria (Egypt), you will hear the same sceletal, underlying
melodic line. The core of this melodic line, its purest, simplest,
most plain, chaste, austere, immaculate form, is the one
taught in this book, which comes from the Patriarchal
tradition. If, for example, you went in or around Smyrna
(when that area had Christian populations, before 1922), you
would still hear the same melodic line, but maybe embelished
differently, to suit the ‘ears’ of the people of that place and
time. You could hear Σῶσον ἡμᾶς in different languages and
still hear the same melodic line in Arabic or Romanian, as it is
possible and desirable to hear it in English21 as well, in
environments where Greek is not understood and there is no
desire to learn it.
Hyphos, even Patriarchal hyphos, changed over time as well.
Imagine we had a time machine that took us back a thousand
years, at the time of the Great Schism, and entered Hagia
21
The work of Fr. Ephraim of St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox
Monastery in Arizona is very encouraging in this regard.
YPHOS
― 248 ―
Sophia, the Patriarchal church at the time. Would chanting

sound the same as it does today? Of course, not! For anyone
to claim that chanting in the Patriarchal church didn’t change
across the ages would be naïve. The point is, (1) it changed
much less over time compared to the other churches, and (2)
the ‘little’ that it changed (relative to other churches) was
within tradition (as tradition was understood at the time of
the change), not uncheked.
This book’s recommendation is to try to approach Patriarchal
or Constantinopolitan hyphos as much as possible. It’s easier
than you think. It’s the simplest, most fundamental form of
chanting.
YPHOS
MAP
― 249 ―
MAP OF CONSTANTINOPLE CHURCHES
These are some of the churches in Constantinople still owned by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. For a more
comprehensive map, please visit the book site at www.PatriarchalPsaltophiles.org.
― 250 ―
REFERENCES
― 251 ―
REFERENCES—ΠΗΓΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΒΟΗΘΗΜΑΤΑ
[NOTE: All references were originally in Greek.

Translation by the author.]
Anastasimatarion of Petros Ephesios. Bucharest, Romania

1821.
Apostolos, that is, the Act and the Epistles of the Holy
Apostles. With the Approval of the Great Church of Christ. 8th
Ed. Venice, 1861.
Cherubikarion (Cherubum Hymn Collection), by Alexander
Byzantius. Constantinople, 1900.
Co-liturgical, that is the Taxis of the Reader and Chanter, by
Holy Monastery of Simon Petra, Athos Holy Mountains, 2017.
Collection of Idiomela and Apolytikia of the Entire Year.
Written by Manuel the Protopsalt of the Great Church of
Christ, translated into the New Notation by Hourmouzios
Hartophylax, and published by Theodore Phokaeus.
Constantinople, 1832.
From the Taxis and Chanting in the Patriarchal Church of
Constantinople. Fr. Serapheim Farasoglu, Protobresbyter of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Athens, 1988.
Heirmologion of Peter Protopsalt, by Hourmouzios
Hartophylax. Constantinople, 1825.
Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Ecclesiastical Music,
Put Together for the Use of its Students, by Chysanth of
Madytos. Paris, 1821.
Krepis by Theodore Phokaeus. Athens 1872.
Music Collection of Progagis, Volume II, The Orthros (Matins).
Music Collection of Progagis, Volume III, The Liturgy.
REFERENCES
― 252 ―
Music Collection—Sunday Communion Hymns, Lucas Luca and

Gerasimo Monk in Holy Mountain of Athos, 2019.
New Anastasimatarion by Hourmouzios Hartophylax,
published by Theodore Phokaeus. Constantinople, 1832.
Pandekte (All-Encompassing), Volume IV, The Liturgy, by John
Lambadarios and Stephan First Domesticos of the Great
Church of Christ. Constantinople, 1851.
Pentecostarion of Raidestinos George. Constantinople, 1886.
Typikon of the Great Church of Christ by Protopsalt George
Violakis based on the Typikon of Konstantin the Protopsalt.
REFERENCES

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PSALTIC METHOD

A GREEK BYZANTINE LITURGY CHANT PRIMER

A GREEK BYZANTINE LITURGY CHANT PRIMER

ΤΩΝ ΜΕΤ’ ΕΥΛΑΒΕΙΑΣ ΥΠΗΡΕΤΗΣΑΝΤΩΝ

ΤΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ ΜΕΓΑΛΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ

WHO SERVED PIOUSLY

THE GREAT CHURCH OF CHRIST

ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΝ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΕΙΟΝ THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

To the musically-educated Mr. Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas,

In the Patriarchates, the 17th day of December 2020

Archimandrite Joachim Billis

Τῷ Πανοσιολογιωτάτῳ Ἁγίῳ Ἀρχιμανδρίτῃ κυρίῳ Ἰωακείμ Μπίλλῃ,

Ἐν πρώτοις τὰ ἀπεριόριστα σεβάσματά μου πρὸς τὸ σεπτὸν μας

Καλὰ Χριστούγεννα, καλὸν Δωδεκαήμερον, καλὸν νέον ἔτος!

Κυριάκος Μιχαήλ Τσιαππούτας

THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

The Very Reverend Holy Archimandrite Joachim Billis,

Firstly, my unlimited respect towards our holy Patriarchate and towards

I received your Patriarchal blessing letter dated December 17 2020. It

Merry Christmas, Good Twelvetide, and a Good New Year!

Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas

Honorable Mr. Tsiappoutas,

I received your book ‘Psaltic Method’ and I studied it carefully. I also

To the readers (To Whom it May Concern).

Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne,

Αγαπητέ κύριε Τσιαππούτα,

Dear Mr. Tsiappoutas,

With this letter I am responding to your request to write down

Ἡ Ψαλτικὴ Μέθοδος τοῦ μουσικοδιδασκάλου κ. Κυριάκου

The Psaltic Method by the music teacher Mr. Kyriakos Michael

Σᾶς εύχαριστῶ γιὰ τὸ βιβλίο ποὺ μοῦ στείλατε. Εἶναι μία

Dear Mr. Tsiappoutas,

Thank you for sending me your book. It is a fine piece of work,

Professor C. Lagouros (b. 1930—) is Archon Protonotarios of the

Μελετώντας το υπό έκδοση εγχειρίδιο με τίτλο «Ψαλτική

By studying the under-publication primer entitled “Psaltic

Christmas Day, 2020.

method and liturgy parts of the book. His encouragement and

To my wife and son.

Place your hand on the table. This is thesis (η θέσις, της

Χρόνος και πάλιν χρόνος.

Characters of Quantity—Χαρακτήρες Ποσότητος

A character is a symbol. We have quantitative and qualitative

If you are to stay on a particular note, someone has to tell you

Remember we chanted Δι Δι Δι Δι ? This is the same as if I

Βάσις (Basis or Base)

The following melody has Βου as its basis.

Παραλλαγή και Μέλος – Parallage and Melos

At any martyria, take a quick breath.

Congratulations! You just chanted the first real hymn of the

Some Scale Theory

Διάστημα or τόνος means interval or tone. Two φθόγγοι

Μείζων Τόνος Whole Tone 12 Moria

Notice how the scale goes from low to high: least-whole—

Time Characters—Χρονικοί Χαρακτήρες

Ordinarily, quantity characters take one beat each. Time

Our previous example

now becomes this (ἰσον is being replaced by κλάσμα)

                          

                                                          

Let’s see how the gorgon works out. From this

    

Let’s learn one more quantity character

    