The fifteen strings of the _kithara_ were tuned according to this scale, and the A, recurring three times in it, acquired something of the importance of a tonic or key note. As yet, however, this scale allowed of no transposition of a mode to another pitch; in order to accomplish this the second tetrachord was used as the first of another similar system. Thus, considering the second tetrachord, E F G A, as first of the new scale, it would be followed by A B[flat] C D, and the two disjunct tetrachords would be formed. Followed by the two upper conjunct tetrachords, and the _proslambanomenos_ added, our system on a new pitch would be complete. This procedure has come down almost unchanged to our times; for we have but two modes, major and minor, which are used on every pitch, constituting various keys. These Greek modes are the basis on which all our modern ideas of tonality rest; for our major mode is simply the Greek Lydian, and our minor mode the Aeolian. LIST OF NOTES IN THE GREEK SCALE disjunct Aeolian. [G: a'] +- A. Nete, or highest. ---+ Hypophrygian. +-| G. Paranete, next highest. | Hypolydian. +-| | F. Trite, third. | Dorian. +-| | | E. Nete, highest. ---+ conjunct Phrygian. +-| | | | D. Paranete, next highest. ---+ ---+ Lydian. +-| | | | | C. Trite, third. | | Mixolydian. +-| | | | | | B. Paramese, next to central tone | | | | | | | | +- A. Mese, central tone. ---+ ===+ | | | | | +--- G. Lichanos, index finger. | | | | | +----- F. Parhypate, next to lowest. | | | | +------- E. Hypate, lowest. ===+ | | +--------- D. Lichanos, index. | | +----------- C. Parhypate, next to lowest. | +------------- B. Hypate, lowest. ---+ [F: a,] A. Proslambanomenos, added tone. To go into detailed explanation of the Greek enharmonic and chromatic pitch will scarcely be worth while, and I will therefore merely add that the instruments were sometimes tuned differently, either to relieve the inevitable monotony of this purely diatonic scale or for purposes of modulation. A Dorian tetrachord is composed of semitone, tone, tone; to make it chromatic, it was changed as follows: [G: e' f' g-' a'] the _lichanos_, or index finger string, being lowered a semitone.