Issue:

  What are the types of Varys (Third plagal) mode ?

Y. Bilalis wrote:

... when we say the word BARYS ---> two bags of scales = the ones with the
hard diatonic intervals ( the psaltes call barys enarmonios although
the correct terminology is barys hard diatonic) and the other bag is
Barys soft diatonic (or the psaltes call it barys diatonikos). In this
latter we have 6 subdivisions!!

a. Barys haplous (or second soft diatonic used in papadic compositions)
with Zo-Bou basic 4chord & Bou-Ke high 4chord (the 4chords are
joined=authentic mode in the 8chord system). Ga natural on the scale
and usually the cadencial formulas work on plagal of first returning
back to Barys. If there is a klasma on Ga and still characterize the
mode as Barys then you sharpen it; otherwise Ga remains natural
ascending/descending.

b. Barys tetrafonos; this is a late development, there is no autonomous
composition on that mode but a 50th psalm in the new analytical
notation. Simply the cantors saw the need of Ga sharpened to make the a
perfect 5chord Zo-Ga and they created in theory the scale of this mode
which is a legetos [plagal second] scale (4chords separated in
the8chord system).

c. barys heptafonos (7fonos) certain doxologies, axion estin. Here Ga
is behaving as sharp mostly as an attraction of the upcoming fourth
mode difonia Di-high Zo

d. barys 5fonos (or protobarys) the behaviour is of a low First mode
with cadences in Zo as mesos, so a better more scientific description
would be low first mode mesos. Ga natural as being in the synchordy of
low first mode.

e. "bestenigar" (there is an accent circumflex on "a" so it is
pronounced bestenigiar) an ottoman/arabic term, the greek equivalent is
plagal of first mesos difonon: it is a rent from our neighbours
(Ottomans) in the ecclesiastical repertory there is one doxology by
Iakovos Protopsaltes (+1800) very artistic, technical and using the
backbone of the mode in pure chanting style no muslim influences as
Arvanitis mentioned in a previous email; simply think of a difonia
Zo-Pa + difonia Pa-Ga + a soft chromatic 4chord Ga-high Zo flat giving
the sound of Naos (pathetikos according to the cantors). In this case
Ga is natural being also a base of a new 4chord.

f. barys soft chromatic; this is the case of "Ton Despotin kai
Arxierea" ancient melody or "Anothen oi profetai" by Ioannes
Koukouzelis, "Perizosai tin romfaian sou" by Gregorios Prot. or any
case in a Barys papadic melody that you have a soft chromatic fthora.