T

his book is based on the current practice St. Vladimirs Seminary in Crestwood, New
York, and therefore, much of the Orthodox Church in America. I have used some
terminology not commonly found in todays liturgical language.
A Samoglas tone is a melodic pattern that is used for a stikheron. This is used for the
opening psalm and stikhira or verses of Psalm 140 at vespers (Lord, I call), for the
apostikha, certain hymns, sidalen, antiphons and the praises used at matins. Generally, if
a text consists of a verse followed by a psalm verse and another verse and is not a
prokeimenon, it will use the Samohlas tone. This is the current practice. Keep in that
this is done as a convenience at the expensive of not using the appointed sidalen
Troparion melodies, the Bulgarski tones, Samopodnij, and other tones that exist for
special purposes. Also the Samoglas Psalm tone has been left out that would be are sung
between the verses have a related tone.
The Troparion tone is used for both troparia and kontakia. This tone is also often used
for Hypokoe hymns at matins, and for God is the Lord.
This and other free liturgical settings and music are available from Unmercenary Sacred
Music at http://unmercenary.com/index.html.
Version 2.0 (20020723)

TONE ONE

Troparion/Kontakion

w
b

W
=====================
l & _ W w l W _ww

l
l

_ W _ _ _w l _ W
w
l
_
_
W w l W w
ll=====================
b


?
l

Phrase 1

Phrase 2

Samoglas
Phrase 1

W
ww

W
W
=====================
l & b
l W
l

l
l
l

_ _ l
l
l W
_ _ W
_
_ _ _ww
_
_
W

l=====================
l
ll

l ?
l

Phrase 2

W l W
W
l=====================
& b W
l

l
l
l

_ _ _ _ l
l
_ _ W
_ _ _ _ l W
_
_


l W
ll=====================
ll

Phrase 3

Phrase 4

b
W

ww
l===========
& W

W
l

_
_ #_
w
W

w
ll===========

Termination

TONE TWO

Troparion/Kontakion
Phrase 1

Termination

W W

W _ww
l=====================
& W l W _
lW

l
l

b_ l

_ _ W
_ _ _ _ _ l W
_
W
_ _ _ _ _ _ ww
l
l
W
W
W

l=====================
l
l

?


Phrase 2

3
Phrase 2 Phrase
W

b
W

=====================
l & W l W # l W l

l
l
l
l

W
_ _ _ _ l W
_ _ _ l _ _ W
_ _ _ l
l
W
W
W

l?
l
l
l
=====================

Samoglas
Intonation

Termination

W
ww
W ww
W
#
l=====================
&b W
l

l
l

W
W
_
_
_
_ _ _ww
_ _ _w
l
l

W
W

l=====================
l

?b
Phrase 4

TONE THREE

b
w

_ l W
w
=====================
l & __ _ W
l
W
_
_

l
l
l
l
w _ l
W _ _ _ l W
_
_
W l W

ll=====================
ll
b
w

l
?
Troparion
Phrase 1

Phrase 2

W

b

=====================
l & W _ _ _ _
l
l

l
l
l

b__ _ _ l
l
lW

W
_
_
_

ll=====================
ll
ll

?b
Termination

W
&b W
l=====================

_ _w

_ _ _

W
_
_

w
ll=====================

Phrase 3

Phrase 4

Tone 3 Troparion Melody usage note: If there are only three measures, use following pattern: 1, 2,
Termination. For larger pieces, use: 1, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, Termination can follow phrase 2, 3, or 4.

Phrase 2
Termination

W l W
W .. _ l W
W _ _ww
l=====================
& W



l
l
l

l
lW
lW

W
_
_

_
_

.
_
_

n
n

W l W .
W
w

ll=====================
l
b

l


?
l

Samoglas
Phrase 1

TONE FOUR

Troparion/Kontakion
Phrase 1

b W #
W
ww
ww l W
ww ww ww
W
W
=====================
l& W
l

l
l
l

. _ _w l W
_ _
W
l
l
W
_
_
_
_
_ _w _w _ww

W
w
W

w w
l=====================
l
l

b
l?
l
l

Phrase 2

Termination

Phrase 3'

b
W
w

l W
l=====================
lW w
& W
W ww

W l
l
l
l
l

_ l
l
lW
W
_ _ww
_ _w
_ l _ _ __ _ W
_
_
l W l
ll=====================
l
W
W
w
b

?
l
l
l
Samoglas
Intonation Phrase 1

Intonation Phrase 2

Phrase 3

W l W l W ww
l=====================
& W

l
l
l

_ _ l W
_ _ _ _ _ l W
_ _ #_ w
l
W
_
_
_
_
_
_
W l W l W
ll=====================
b
l
l
w
?
Phrase 4

Phrase 5

Termination

For a sticheron that exceeds six phrases, repeat goes to phrase 3' (second half of phrase 3).

TONE FIVE
Troparion/Kontakion
Phrase 1

W
=l
_

====================
W
l &
l W
_

l
l
l

l
l W
l
_ _
W
_
_
_
_
_

W
=ll

l====================
l
b

l?
l

Phrase 2

l=====================
& W
W _ _ .. _ __ l W _ _ _ _ #_ __ww


l

l

W .. l W

l

l
w

ll=====================
b

l
?

Phrase 3

Termination

Samoglas
Phrase 1

W
& b
l=====================
l W
l

l
l
l

__
__

l
l W
l
_ _
W
_
__
_ _
W
_
W

ll=====================
ll
ll
? b

Phrase 2

. W
b

l & W . l W ww
=====================

. W

__ _ _ _ _ #_ w
l
_ _ W
_ _ _ . _ l W
w
W

ll=====================
l

? b

l
Phrase 3

Termination

Keep in mind that many choirs use the Troparion tone for both troparia and stikhera since the
samoglas tone starts the same at tone one and often causes confusion and the harmonization of it
(a seventh with the third missing) often leads to choirs not staying in tune.

TONE SIX

Troparion/Kontakion
Phrase 1

_ _ _ww
=====================
l& W
l _ _ W

W
_
_ . #
W
_
_

l
l

_ . _ l

l

W

w

l=====================
l

l?
l

Samoglas
Phrase 1

Phrase 2

l
W

& W
W

l=====================
l

#

#

l
l
l

l
l

_
_
_
_
_
W

#
W
ll=====================
ll W
ll

Phrase 2

Phrase 2 end
before 3.

Phrase 2 end
before term.

# W

ww

=====================
l&
#
l W

l
l

l
l

_
_
_

W
#

w
.
ll=====================
ll W

Phrase 3

Termination

TONE SEVEN
Troparion/Kontakion
Phrase 1

b
w
W

W
w l W l W ww w
=====================
l & W

_
W
_
_w

w l W l W
l
_ _ _ W
_ _ l _ _ _ l _ _ _ w w
W

w l W l W w w
l=====================
b

l?
l
l

Phrase 2

Hold first note as a half-note if first syllable is accented.

Samoglas
Phrase 1

b
W

_ l
l=====================
&
l W _

l
l


n l
l
_ _ _ W
_ _ _ l _ _ W
_ n
W l W l
ll=====================
b

l
l

?

Phrase 2

Normal Ending

Ending before
termination.

b
W

ww
l====================
&
=

W
_
_ _ _
_ #_
ww

ll====================
?b W
=

Termination

TONE EIGHT
Troparion/Kontakion
One repeating phrase

W
b

W
ww
l=====================
&

_
_

_ _ _ _ W
l

W
w

ll=====================

l W

W
l=====================
W
W
l
& b

l (Intonation only)
l
l

_ _ _ l
l
l W
_ _ W
_
_ _
_
_
W

ll=====================

l
ll

l
Samoglas

Phrase 1

Phrase 2

W _ l W
W ww ww ww ww
=====================
l& W

l W w w
l
W
_ _ _ _ _ n l _ _w _w # _w w
W
l W

ll=====================
b
w w

Phrase 3

Termination

Although these two notes are in the official setting,

in practice they are almost never used. Instead, one
would chant on the G chord (B/G/D/G) and use the
last three notes as the terminating cadence.