tre nv h ngy

| jB n kID x jB n te rz jB n t n se

-;ez jB n ty J P Q Pv n h ghc r jB n

tTjb,t tj P y tf r n kI sD-; ez i ye

v kIsd-t Jh k T vB ye-t Jh kT rzP

oh J rD J rd-tkzt t kztu t n se

:eUxP-;Ix | eh x P ch,h rhc, tDr S

k JJvkUpf-tf r n vrp-hb re , k

:I nIh-iC -j rh

1

GETTING FAMILIARIZED WITH THE SOUND OF TORAHTROPE

:r nt K vJnkt w v r ntHu r C S o v kt T r n tu k tr Gh hb Ckt U Ggu

,mhm ovk o,r s k ovh sdc h pbFkg Ub ,bu kh, P ;bFv ,mhmkg

:, kfT ,mhm k ofk vhvu I ,t o,ht rU w v ,um nkF,t oT rfzU

o,t o,h Ggu UrU ,, t ku o fhbh g h rj tu ofcc k h rj t ohbz oTtr Jt

:ovh rj t U rFzT ign k h,um nkF,t o,h Ggu oh Jse o,hhvu

:ofhv k-t k hb t o fhv k-t w v oh rm n . r t n of,t h,tmIv r Jt ,Ihv k

ohvk-tk ofk :ofhv k-t w v hb t

Group 1: Etnahta Phrases - tTjb,t

A full etnahta phrase contains the following four notes:

tTjb,t jB n tj P y tf rnHowever, an etnahta phrase will not always use all four of its tropenotes. It will appear in the following variations:

tj P y tTjb,t

/2 tj P yjB ntTjb,t

/3 tf rntj P ytTjb,t

tf rn tj P yjB ntTjb,t

/1

/4

2

Group 2: Siluk/Sof-Pasuk Phrases - :e UxP-;Ixqe Ukx

This is the group which you will use to chant the end of a verse, hence

then name sof-pasuk, which is the most popular name for this trope

marking. However, the technical name for marking is siluk, so it is

important that you know them both.

All trope phrases contain different variations. This is the most typical

one you will find for the Sof-Pasuk:

:e UxP-;Ix tj P y tf rnThe following are the variations that you will find for this group ofphrases. You will notice that the trope notes are very similar to theetnahta phrases. The only change is that the jB n will not appear. Also,you will see that tf r n may appear twice in one variation. Someteachers say that they sound exactly the same, others will sing themdifferently. The best thing to do is to consult your teacher/tutor to besure.

tj P y:e UxP-;Ix

/2 tj P ytf rn:e UxP-;Ix

/3 tf rntj P y:e UxP-;Ix

/4 tf rn tj P ytf rn:e UxP-;IxNow that you have practiced, you can go back to the end of the VaYomer

paragraph of the Shma and practice it:

:ofhv k-t w v hb t

/1

3

Group 3: Zakeif-Katon Phrases - i ye-;ez

The i ye-;ez group of phrases occur regularly in almost every verse ofthe Bible. They do not serve as major pause punctuation like etnahta andsof-pasuk, which can appear only once per verse. Rather, the i ye-;ezserves as a minor pause and forms the melodic pattern that keeps themusic of the trope moving. Thus, they can occur several times in a singleverse. The following is a list of the main notes that will occur as part ofthe i ye-;ez phrases:

es tn

Q Pv n

y J Pt

jB n

i ye-;ez

ch,hYou will notice that two notes have been highlighted: y J Pt and estn .These notes have the exact same appearance. The only differencebetween them is their placement on the word. ty J P is always placedjust beyond the very end of the word - at the far left. tn se is alwaysplaced over the syllable that is to be stressed and sung with the trope.Take a look at the following example of a phrase:

Uv cu Uv ,

Can you see that the first word has TWO trope markings upon it.Remembering what we know about ty J P always being placed at the endof a word, it would appear that the word Uv , has both a kadma and apashta!

4

Think about what we have said about the stressed syllable. The tropemarking is always placed over that syllable. But, if a pashta is ALWAYS atthe end of the word, what happens when the stress needs to fall on aneariler syllable? The trope marking like we have on the word Uv , is whathappens! Both of the trope markings are pashta. The one on the end ofthe word tells us that it is a pashta, while the first one tells us which

syllable to stress. The word is, therefore, pronounced: ,Uv .If you look back at the list of the notes in this grouping, you will see onethat should look familiar from other groups: jB n. This is the second ofFOUR different types of jB n! Thankfully, the jB n of this grouping doesnot sound like the jB n from the other groups.

Now is our chance to look at practice the variations within the i ye-;ezgrouping:

jB ni ye-;ez

/2ty J PjB ni ye-;ez

/3ty J Pi ye-;ez

Q Pv nty J PjB ni ye-;ez

Q Pv nty J Pi ye-;ez

tn seQ Pv nty J PjB ni ye-;ez

tn seQ Pv nty J Pi ye-;ez

There is one final trope marking in this grouping which we have not yetpracticed. It is called the ch,h. As you can see from the marking, it hasthe same appearance as the Q Pv n, it only comes at the very beginning ofthe word. It will not appear in any other placement, which is what

/1

/4

/5

/6

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distinguishes it from the Q Pv n. ch,h will appear in two possiblepatterns:

ch,hi ye-;ez

ch,hjB ni ye-;ez

Now that you have practiced, you can go back to the end of the VaYomerparagraph of the Shma and practice the i ye-;ez phrases:

Q Pv nty J PjB n i ye-;ez

o v kt T r n tu k tr Gh hb Ckt

ty J PjB n i ye-;ez

w v ,um nkF,t oT rfzU

Q Pv nty J PjB n i ye-;ez

o fhbh g h rj tu ofcc k h rj t

jB n i ye-;ez

U rFzT ign k

tn seQ Pv nty J PjB n i ye-;ez

oh rm n . r t n of,t h,tmIv r Jt

/1

/2

6

Group 4: Rveeee Phrases - h ghc r

This group of trope marks is called h ghc r phrases because theircombinations will all conclude with the h ghc r note. These are the notesthat will be used in the h ghc r phrases.

t n se

This t n se has the exact same appearance as the pashta from Group 3,zakeif katon. However, t n se always appears somewhere over the worditself, above the stressed syllable, not at the very end of the word likepashta.

t kzt

t kzt almost always appears immediately after t n se in this group andare actually chanted together as t kztu t n se when practiced. If t kztappears on its own, it is called...

J rd-tkzt

J rd-tkzt sounds slightly different than the t kztu t n se, being ashorter note. It is acceptable, however, to sing it exactly the same asthe t kztu t n se.

Lets practice just these few notes before we move on.

t kztu t n se

J rd-tkzt

/1

/2

7

jB njB n is a kind of all-purpose note. It is a connector note in many of thegroups, as you have seen so far. This is the third of the four differentvarieties of this note and the way it is sung depends on the note to whichit is connected. So, whenever you see a jB n, you must look ahead to thecantillation for the next word to know how to sing it. The fourth type ofjB n is...

| jB n

You will notice that this | jB n comes with a vertical line following it.That line tells us that this is the pausal | jB n, also known as jB n""/h n rd This | jB n will only ever appear with its horizontal line andbefore/connected to the h ghc r jB n.

h ghc r

h ghc r is the concluding note for this phrase.

jB nh ghc r

/2| jB njB nh ghc r

t kztu t n seh ghc r

t kztu t n sejB nh ghc r

J rd-tkzth ghc r

J rd-tkztjB nh ghc r

t kztu t n se| jB njB nh ghc r

J rd-tkzt| jB njB nh ghc r

/1

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Group 5: Darga-Tveer Phrases - rhc, tDr S

In this group, there are three new trope markings to learn. Two of thesetrope markings are completely new. The third is a special version of acantillation that you have already learned.

tDr S

rhc,

tf rn

This is the special tf r n, which looks exactly like the regular tf r n.You will know this is different, however, when it is followed by the rhc,.This is the only time when this note makes a different sound. Also, in therhc, tDr S phrases, it will only appear with the rhc, and not incombination with the tDr S. So, there is only one possible note patternwhich you will have to recognize to know how to properly chant thisspecial tf r n.

These are the few variations in which you will find this trope pattern:

tDr S

/2rhc,

/3tDr Srhc,

tf rnrhc,

/1

/4

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The rhc, tDr S phrases are the first trope pattern that you will begin tofind in combination with other phrases either for musical reasons orbecause of rules established by the Masoretes, the group that designedand implemented the cantillation rules.

First, a rhc, must always be followed by a major pause. That meansthat when you get to a rhc, as you are preparing a reading, you knowthat either :e UxP-;Ix or tTjb,t is going to follow it. Thats just theway the system works.

/5 tj P y tf rn rhc, tDr StTjb,t jB n

tTjb,t tj P y tf rn rhc, tf rn

:e UxP-;Ix tj P y tf rn rhc, tDr S /7

There are other possible variations within the combination of these twophrase patterns, but this was just to get a taste and a little bit ofpractice.

Another combination that is fairly common is for rhc, tDr S phrases tobe paired up with h ghc r phrases. So, in these combinations, you willoften come across a jB n. If that happens, you sing the jB n that is partof the h ghc r phrases. In fact, this is the case whenever you come acrossany jB n in any other group from now on. Here are the tropecombinations that you will find for rhc, tDr S and h ghc r:

rhc, tDr S t kztu t n se

tDr SjB nh ghc r

t n serhc, tf rn

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Group 6: Tlisha/Pazer Phrases - t Jh kTqrzP

First, we will deal with the two different types of t Jh kT: vB ye-t Jh kTand v kIsd-t Jh k T . They both use the same symbol, hence the sharedname of t Jh k T, but they are different because they point in oppositedirections.

vB ye-t Jh kT

The t Jh k T symbols often appear twice above a word. Do you rememberwhat we learned about why this happens with the ty J P? Its the sameissue here. vB ye-t Jh kT is a cantillation mark that appears at the endof a word, just as it is shown above. However, if the stressed syllable isnot the last syllable of the word, then an additional cantillation symbol isplaced above the stressed syllable to remind the reader which syllable tostress.

The vB ye-t Jh kT is named small because it is a shorter series ofmusical notes to sing.

v kIsd-t Jh k T

The v kIsd-t Jh k T also appears twice over a word quite often, and forthe same reason, only in reverse. The v kIsd-t Jh k T is traditionallyplaced over the beginning of the word, even if that is not the syllable tobe stressed. So, the second cantillation mark will appear over thestressed syllable, just as shown above. The stressed (and, therefore,sung) syllable is the end of the word.

The v kIsd-t Jh k T is named large because it is a longer series ofmusical notes to sing.

rzP

rzP is one of the more complicated cantillations to sing. It emphasizes

11

particular words in the Torah text and its music expresses the emotionthat is associated with the word. In terms of the cantillation pattern ofthis group, rzP almost always precedes one of the t Jh k T cantiallations.

jB n

Often, a t Jh k T or a rzP is preceded by a jB n. As we learned in Group5, when a jB n appears with any of Groups 5, 6, 7, or 8 it is the Group 4jB n that is sung (the one that precedes a h ghc r). It is called thegeneral jB n for this reason.

Here are the phrases in which t Jh k T and rzP appear most often. Youwill see that they are combined with Group 4 h ghc r phrases relativelyfrequently. These are the most common variations in which you will findthe Group 6 trope pattern:

jB n

/2rzP

/3vB ye-t Jh kT

v kIsd-t Jh k T

rzPvB ye-t Jh kT

rzPv kIsd-t Jh k T

/7rzPvB ye-t Jh kTh ghc r t kztu t n se

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/4

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12

rzPv kIsd-t Jh k Th ghc r t kztu t n se

/9rzP jB n

/10jB nvB ye-t Jh kT

jB nv kIsd-t Jh k T

rzP jB n /12vB ye-t Jh kT

rzP jB n /13v kIsd-t Jh k T

rzP jB n /14ghc r t kztu t n se vB ye-t Jh kT

/8

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Group 7: Gershayim/Zakef Gadol - kI sD-; ezqoh J rD

The two trope markings that make up this group are stand alonecantillations. They are not part of a longer musical phrase and theirsinging pattern has a conlusion that does not lead directly into anothertrope mark or note.

In some teachings about Torah cantillation, J rd-tkzt is included in thisgroup because it can stand alone as well. However, because it is soclosely related to t kztu t n se and h ghc r, it was placed in Group 4.

oh J rD

While oh J rD is a stand alone trope marking, it is very closely related tothe special jB n and often appears and functions in a similar way, as anintroduction to a h ghc r jB n. As you see above, oh J rD is almost alwayssung on the last syllable of the word because that is the syllable that isstressed.

kI sD-; ez

Unlike oh J rD, kI sD-; ez truly is a stand alone cantillation. It does notappear in any kind of a predictable pattern or place in a verse. However,its most common placement is toward the end of a pasuk.

jB n

Our general jB n makes another appearance in this group. There will betimes when you will find it before a oh J rD, but it is very rare for anytrope mark to preceded a kI sD-; ez.

oh J rD/2jB njB n oh J rD /3 oh J rD h ghc r

/4kI sD-; ez:e UxP-;Ix tj P y tf rn kI sD-; ez /5

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Group 8: Zarka-Segol Phrases - kID x te rz

This is the last group of trope markings to learn. kID x te rz is saved forthe last group because it is the least frequently appearing trope patternor phrase in the Torah. kID x te rz will always appear as a pair ofmarkings together. They will never be chanted separately.

kID x te rz are two more trope markings that can appear more than onceon a word and the reason is just like the other notes we have studied thatdo the same thing. Most often, kID x te rz are sung on the last syllableof the word because it is the stressed syllable. However, on the rareoccassion that either te rz or kID x is to be sung on a word that has anearlier stressed syllable, the cantillation mark will apear over thatsyllable as well.

te rz

kID x

jB n

General jB n will frequently appear immediately before a kID x te rz.Sometimes, however, a jB n will appear in between them and it is notsung like any of the other jB n notes that we have learned. It is ageneral jB n, but it is only sung half-way and used as a lead-in for thekID x.

These are the few ways that the kID x te rz phrase will appear.

kID x te rz

/2kID x jB n te rz

/3kID x jB n te rz jB n

/1

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This is the end of the detailed training in the chanting of Torah trope. Ifyou can remember the eight groups of phrases, the names of the notes,and their recurring patterns, preparing a Torah reading will come muchmore easily to you than trying to memorize it. Furthermore, if you knowthe names of the notes for Torah reading and the rules that apply tothem, you will be able to apply this knowledge to learning a haftarah orany other reading from the Tanakh, including all readings from the fivemegillot, which are read on various special days of the Jewish year. Allyou will need to learn is the different musical cantillations for the notes,which may not be easy, but you will have the logic and understanding ofthe system down pat.

Below, you will find a review section for each of the eight groups ofcantillation phrases. You can use them as a quick reference and practiceguide any time you are learning you a Torah reading. HatzlahaRabbah/Much good luck to you!

Group 1: Etnahta Phrases - tTjb,t

tj P y tTjb,t

/2 tj P yjB ntTjb,t

/3 tf rntj P ytTjb,t

tf rn tj P yjB ntTjb,t

/1

/4

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Group 2: Siluk/Sof-Pasuk Phrases - :e UxP-;Ixqe Ukx

tj P y:e UxP-;Ix

/2 tj P ytf rn:e UxP-;Ix

/3 tf rntj P y:e UxP-;Ix

tf rn tj P ytf rn:e UxP-;Ix

Group 3: Zakeif-Katon Phrases - i ye-;ez

jB ni ye-;ez

/2ty J PjB ni ye-;ez

/3ty J Pi ye-;ez

Q Pv nty J PjB ni ye-;ez

Q Pv nty J Pi ye-;ez

tn seQ Pv nty J PjB ni ye-;ez

tn seQ Pv nty J Pi ye-;ez

ch,hi ye-;ez

ch,hjB ni ye-;ez

/1

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/1

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/5

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/7

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17

Group 4: Rveeee Phrases - h ghc r

jB nh ghc r

/2| jB njB nh ghc r

t kztu t n seh ghc r

t kztu t n sejB nh ghc r

J rd-tkzth ghc r

J rd-tkztjB nh ghc r

t kztu t n se| jB njB nh ghc r

J rd-tkzt| jB njB nh ghc r

Group 5: Darga-Tveer Phrases - rhc, tDr S

tDr S

/2rhc,

/3tDr Srhc,

tf rnrhc,

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/4

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/5 tj P y tf rn rhc, tDr StTjb,t jB n

tTjb,t tj P y tf rn rhc, tf rn

:e UxP-;Ix tj P y tf rn rhc, tDr S /7

rhc, tDr S t kztu t n se

tDr SjB nh ghc r

t n serhc, tf rn

Group 6: Tlisha/Pazer Phrases - t Jh kTqrzP

/1jB n

/2rzP

/3vB ye-t Jh kT

v kIsd-t Jh k T

rzPvB ye-t Jh kT

rzPv kIsd-t Jh k T

/7rzPvB ye-t Jh kTh ghc r t kztu t n se

rzPv kIsd-t Jh k Th ghc r t kztu t n se

/6

/8

/9

/10

/4

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/6

/8

19

/9rzP jB n

/10jB nvB ye-t Jh kT

jB nv kIsd-t Jh k T

rzP jB n /12vB ye-t Jh kT

rzP jB n /13v kIsd-t Jh k T

rzP jB n /14h ghc r t kztu t n se vB ye-t Jh kT

Group 7: Gershayim/Zakef Gadol - kI sD-; ezqoh J rD

oh J rD

jB noh J rD

jB n oh J rDh ghc r

kI sD-; ez

:e UxP-;Ix tj P y tf rn kI sD-; ez

Group 8: Zarka-Segol Phrases - kID x te rz

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/2

/3

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kID x te rz /1

/2kID x jB n te rz

/3kID x jB n te rz jB n

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