The scales of Ptolemy

Overview | Next

Diatonic | Chromatic | Enharnmonic

Dorian | Frygian | Lydian | Mixolydian | Hypolydian | Hypodorian

 

These tables are taken from Barker, A. (Ed.). Greek Musianal Writings, Vol. 2: Harmonian and Acoustian Theory. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

 

Hold your mouse above the scales title to hear the scales

(ascending like they were played in the ancient Greece)

Genus

 

Diatonic Scale

String Name

Note Name

Archytas
Diatonic

Erstothenes
Diatonic

Didymus
Diatonic

Ptolemaios
Soft Diatonic
Ptolemaios
Tonic Diatonic
Ptolemaios
DiTonic Diatonic
Ptolemaios
Tense Diatonic
Ptolemaios
Jævn Diatonic
Aristoxenius Soft Diatonic Aristoxenius Tense Diatonic
Nete dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
8/7
9/8
9/8
10/9
10/9
7/6
17/15
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
9/8
10/9
10/9
8/7
9/8
9/8
11/10
38/35
19/17
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
256/243
16/15
21/20
28/27
256/243
16/15
12/11
20/19
20/19
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
8/7
9/8
9/8
10/9
10/9
7/6
17/15
Lianhanos mesôn
 
8/7
9/8
10/9
10/9
8/7
9/8
9/8
11/10
38/35
19/17
Parahypate mesôn
 
28/27
256/243
16/15
21/20
28/27
256/243
16/15
12/11
20/19
20/19
Hypate mesôn
   

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Chromatic

String Name

Note Name

Archytas
Chromatic

Erstothenes
Chromatic

Didymus
Chromatic

Ptolemaios
Soft Chromatic
Ptolemaios
Tense Chromatic
Aristoxenius
Chromatic
Nete dizeugmenôn            
 
32/27
6/5
6/5
6/5
7/6
22/30
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
243/224
25/24
25/24
15/14
12/11
4/30
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
16/15
16/15
28/27
22/21
4/30
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
32/27
6/5
6/5
6/5
7/6
22/30
Lianhanos mesôn
 
243/224
25/24
25/24
15/14
12/11
4/30
Parahypate mesôn
 
28/27
16/15
16/15
28/27
22/21
4/30
Hypate mesôn

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Enharnmonic

String Name

Note Name

Archytas
Enharnmonic

Erstothenes
Enharnmonic

Didymus
Enharnmonic

Ptolemaios
Enharnmonic
Aristoxenius
Enharnmonic
Nete dizeugmenôn
 
5/4
19/15
5/4
5/4
24/30
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
36/35
39/38
31/30
24/23
3/30
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
40/39
32/31
46/45
3/30
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
5/4
19/15
5/4
5/4
24/30
Lianhanos mesôn
 
36/35
39/38
31/30
24/23
3/30
Parahypate mesôn
 
28/27
40/39
32/31
46/45
3/30
Hypate mesôn

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Ancient Modes (Tonoi)

Dorian

String Name

Note Name

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Chromatic

Tonic Diatonic
Soft Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

DiTonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tense Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Nete dizeugmenôn
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
10/9
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
16/15
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
Tense Chromatic
Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
 
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn
 
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
8/7
Parahypate mesôn
 
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
28/27
Hypate mesôn
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Frygian

 

String Name

Note Name

Tense Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic

Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic

Trite Hyperbolaion
 
22/21
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
Nete dizeugmenôn
Tense Chromatic
Soft Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
256/243
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic
 
7/6
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Parahypate mesôn          
Top

Lydian

The antique Lydian corresponds to our major scale

String Name

Note Name

Tense Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic

Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic

Trité dizeugmenôn          
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
256/243
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
7/6
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Parahypate mesôn
 
22/21
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
Hypate mesôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Lianhanos hypaton
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Parahypate hypaton          

Top

 

Mixolydian

String Name

Note Name

Tense Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic

Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic

Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
7/6
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Parahypate mesôn
 
22/21
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
Hypate mesôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Lianhanos hypaton
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Parahypate hypaton
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
256/243
16/15
Hypate hypaton          

Top

Hypolydian

String Name

Note Name

Tense Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic

Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic

Trite Hyperbolaion
 
22/21
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
Nete dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
256/243
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
7/6
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Parahypate mesôn          

Top

Hypodorian

String Name

Note Name

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Chromatic

Tonic Diatonic
Soft Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

DiTonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tense Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

 
 
7/6
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
Nete Hyperbolaion
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Trite Hyperbolaion
 
22/21
22/21
20/21
28/27
28/27
Nete dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
28/27
28/27
28/27
253/243
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn          

Hypofrygian

String Name

Note Name

Tense Chromatic
Tonic Diatonic

Soft Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
DiTonic Diatonic

Tonic Diatonic
Tense Diatonic

Nete Hyperbolaion          
 
12/11
10/9
8/7
8/7
8/7
Trite Hyperbolaion
 
22/21
21/20
28/27
28/27
28/27
Nete dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
10/9
Paranete dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
8/7
8/7
9/8
9/8
Trité dizeugmenôn
 
8/7
28/27
28/27
256/243
16/15
Paramese dizeugmenôn
 
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
9/8
Mese mesôn
 
7/6
8/7
9/8
9/8
9/8
Lianhanos mesôn          
           
           
           
           
           
           

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Translation of the ancient modes and the modes used today

 

 

 

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