Editing Mode (music) (section)

===Greek scales===
{{Image frame|content=<score sound="1">
{
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' { 
  \clef treble \time 4/4
  e4^\markup { Enharmonic genus } feh geses a b ceh deses e

} }
</score>

<score sound="1">
{
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' { 
  \clef treble \time 4/4
  e4^\markup { Chromatic genus } f ges a b c des e

} }
</score>

<score sound="1">
{
\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f
\relative c' { 
  \clef treble \time 4/4
  e4^\markup { Diatonic genus } f g a b c d e
} }
</score>|width=300|caption=The three genera of the Dorian [[octave species]] on E}}

The Greek scales in the [[Aristoxenus|Aristoxenian]] tradition were:<ref>{{harvp|Barbera|1984|p=240}}</ref><ref name=Mathiesen-2001a-6iiid>{{harvp|Mathiesen|2001a|loc=6(iii)(d)}}</ref>

:{|
|- style="vertical-align:bottom;font-size:80%;"
| '''[[Aristoxenus|Aristoxenian]]<br/>scale''' || '''rough<br/>modern<br/>pitch''' || '''[[Aristoxenus]]' description'''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Mixolydian mode#Greek Mixolydian|Mixolydian]] || b–{{prime|b}} || ''hypate hypaton–paramese''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Lydian mode|Lydian]] || {{prime|c}}–c{{pprime}} || ''parhypate hypaton–trite diezeugmenon''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Phrygian mode#Ancient Greek Phrygian mode|Phrygian]] || {{prime|d}}–d{{pprime}} || ''lichanos hypaton–paranete diezeugmenon''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Dorian mode|Dorian]] || {{prime|e}}–e{{pprime}} || ''hypate meson–nete diezeugmenon''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Hypolydian mode|Hypolydian]] || {{prime|f}}–f{{pprime}} || ''parhypate meson–trite hyperbolaion''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| [[Hypophrygian mode|Hypophrygian]]  || {{prime|g}}–g{{pprime}} || ''lichanos meson–paranete hyperbolaion''
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| Common,<br/> [[Locrian mode|Locrian]], or<br/> [[Hypodorian mode|Hypodorian]] || {{nobr|{{prime|a}}–a{{pprime}} or  }}<br/> a–{{prime|a}} || ''mese–nete hyperbolaion'' or<br/> ''proslambnomenos–mese''
|}

These names are derived from ancient Greeks' cultural subgroups ([[Dorians]]), small regions in central Greece ([[Locris]]), and certain [[Anatolia]]n peoples ([[Lydia]], [[Phrygia]])  (not ethnically Greek, but in close contact with them). The association of these ethnic names with the [[octave species]] appears to precede [[Aristoxenus]], who criticized their application to the ''tonoi'' by the earlier theorists whom he called the "Harmonicists". According to {{harvp|Bélis|2001}}, he felt that their diagrams, which exhibit 28&nbsp;consecutive dieses, were
: "...&nbsp;devoid of any musical reality since more than two quarter-tones are never heard in succession."<ref>{{harvp|Bélis|2001}}</ref>

Depending on the positioning (spacing) of the interposed tones in the [[tetrachord]]s, three ''genera'' of the seven octave species can be recognized. The diatonic genus (composed of tones and semitones), the chromatic genus (semitones and a minor third), and the [[enharmonic genus]] (with a major third and two [[quarter tone]]s or [[diesis|dieses]]).<ref>{{harvp|Cleonides|1965|pp=35–36}}</ref> The framing interval of the perfect fourth is fixed, while the two internal pitches are movable. Within the basic forms, the intervals of the chromatic and diatonic genera were varied further by three and two "shades" (''chroai''), respectively.<ref>{{harvp|Cleonides|1965|pp=39–40}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Mathiesen|2001a|loc=6(iii)(c)}}</ref>

In contrast to the medieval modal system, these scales and their related ''tonoi'' and ''harmoniai'' appear to have had no hierarchical relationships amongst the notes that could establish contrasting points of tension and rest, although the ''mese'' ("middle note") might have functioned as some sort of central, returning tone for the melody.<ref>{{harvp|Palisca|2006|p=77}}</ref>