Heptachord
Seven-note series in musical notation
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Heptachord, from Greek heptachordos, from ancient greek ἑπτάχορδος (heptákhordos, "seven-stringed"), from ἑπτά (heptá, "seven") + χορδή (khordḗ, "chord"), is a 7-stringed lyre of ancient Greece, the interval of a seventh, or a (diatonic) scale of seven notes or tones.[1]
7-stringed lyre
Most of the ancient greek lyres had 7 strings.[2] Early lyres originate in ancient Mesopotamia.[3]
Interval of a seventh
Scale of seven notes
A heptachord is based on two consecutive tetrachords.[4]
Basic tetrachords
1½1, ½11, 11½
and the tritone
111
7 modes
The 7 modal patterns for the Babylonian heptachords are:[5][6]
| Mode | Pattern | Center note | Semitones | Tritones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| kitmum | 1½11½1 | D | 10 | 0 |
| pītum | ½11½11 | E | 10 | 0 |
| qablītum | 11½11½ | C | 10 | 0 |
| išartum | 1½111½ | G | 10 | 1 |
| embūbum | ½111½1 | A | 10 | 1 |
| nīd qablim | 111½11 | B | 11 | 2 |
| nīš tuḫrim | 11½111 | F | 11 | 2 |
2 consecutive heptachords
7 consecutive heptachords
6 cyclic consecutive heptachords
Tuning
A tuning procedure ‘loosening’ (TU.LU)[9] in Music of Mesopotamia for a 7-stringed instrument based on a transposition to D/D♭:[5][10]
‘tightening’ (GÍD.I)
Basic tetrachord with 4 semitones
½1½
Heptachords with 9 semitones
½1½1½1 and 1½1½1½
