This course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of Byzantine musical notation and the Octoechos system, key elements of Orthodox church music. Through theoretical and practical sessions, students will acquire the necessary skills to interpret and perform Byzantine hymns and songs.


Guide for Chanters1

Names of tones, interval patterns, and their notation. Pauses and extended tone duration within rhythmic expression. Stepwise movement as the basis of melodic progression. Exercises 1 - 23 from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Modern Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019, for gradual mastery.

Guide for Chanters 2

After completing course: Guide for Chanters1

Shortening of tone duration and its application in various musical phrases. Stepwise movement as the foundation for proper melodic line formation. Exercises 24 - 40 from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Modern Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019, for gradual mastery of these elements.

Guide for Chanters 3

After completing course: Guide for Chanters 2

Jumps between tones of various intervals: fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and octave, and their application in musical phrases. Exercises 58 - 67 from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Modern Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019, for practicing these intervals and better understanding their role in melodic movement.

Tone One

After completing course: Tone Five (pl. One)

Tone One. Diatonic scale. Heirmologic chant: Beatitudes of the mode; Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Nativity; O Ye, Who Baptized in to the Christ.Papadic chant: The Canon of the Eucharist; Alleluiarion before the Gospel.
Special melodies: Soft Chromatic chant: Model melody kathisma - Your Grave, o Savior.
Melodies are from from the textbook Guide for Chanters Through Modern Byzantine Notation (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију Белград, 2019).

Tone Two

After completing course: Tone One

Tone Two. Hard chromatic scale. Heirmologic chant: Beatitudes of the mode; Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Theophany; Resurrectional Apolytikion; Only-begotten Son; The Entrance Hymn; Blessed is He that cometh; We have seen the true light; Let our mouths be filled; Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters Through Modern Byzantine Notation (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију Белград, 2019).

Tone Three

After completing course: Tone Eight (pl. Four)

Tone Three. Encharmonic scale. Heirmologic chant: Beatitudes of the mode; Resurrectional Apolytikion.
Special melodies: Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Meeting of our Lord; Kontakion of the Nativity "Virgin today"; The model melody of the Resurrectional cathisma "Awed by the beauty"; The Third Stasis of the Holy Saturday.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters Through Modern Byzantine Notation (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију Белград, 2019).

Tone Four

After completing course: Tone Six (pl. Two)

Fourth tone: Diatonic from Vu: Blessed; Irmos of the 9th Ode of the Annunciation; Irmos of the 9th Ode of Palm Sunday; Irmos of the 9th Ode of Pentecost. Diatonic from Pa: Lord I have cried. Papadic from Di: Alleluia. Soft chromatic from Di: Resurrection Troparion; Nativity Troparion. Hard chromatic from Di (Nenano): Sedalen Joseph was amazed. Enharmonic from Pa: Holy, Holy Lord. Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters Through Modern Byzantine Notation (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију Белград, 2019).

Tone Five (pl. One)

After completing course: Tone Three

Fifth tone from Ke: Blessed, Resurrection Troparion; Irmos of the 9th Ode of Ascension.
Fifth four-voiced: Canon of the Eucharist.
Fifth three-voiced: Paschal Troparion; Stases on Holy Saturday.
Fifth papadic: Alleluia.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Contemporary Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019 (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију, Београд 2019).

Tone Six (pl. Two)

After completing course: Tone Two

Sixth tone Soft chromatic from Di: Blessed, Resurrection Troparion; Kontakion Protector of Christians.
Hard chromatic from Pa: It is Truly Meet.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Contemporary Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019 (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију, Београд 2019).


Tone Seven (Grave)

After completing course: Tone Four

Seventh tone from Ga: Blessed, Resurrection Troparion; Transfiguration Troparion; I Will Love You, O Lord.
Seventh simple from Zo: Blessed, Resurrection Troparion.
Seventh four-voiced from Zo: Canon of the Eucharist.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Contemporary Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019 (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију, Београд 2019).

Tone Eight (pl. Four)

After completing course: Guide for Chanters 3

Eighth tone from Ni: Blessed, Irmos of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos; Irmos of the Exaltation of the Cross; Kontakion of the Annunciation; Holy, Holy, Holy.
Eighth three-voiced from Ga: Resurrection Troparion; Pentecost Troparion.
Melodies are from the textbook Guide for Chanters through Contemporary Neumatic Notation, Belgrade 2019 (Водич за појце кроз савремену неумску нотацију, Београд 2019).