The bulk of music discussed on this website is rooted in the diatonic (major/minor) tonal system, which relies on the principle of a the leading note to the tonic. This developed in the seventh century out of the modal system. Technically, a mode is a name that can be given to any combinations of notes in a scale. There are however specific common modes referred to in Ancient Greek and Christian Music. These, and other modes, are also common in folk music: the kinds of modes used can sometimes show the origins of a melody. The effect of modality in folk music at first glance may appear far from it's chant counterpart, due to the fact that it is more rhythmic and has a simple structure, but the essential colours of the mode are the same.