Tippeḥa טִפְּחָא
The most common trop in all the Tanakh — about one quarter of all te'amim!
Ready to go?
Set yourself up for success
- Set aside at least 30 minutes. We're all busy, but shorter sessions generally limit retention.
- Find a quiet place. Even after many years, I still need a quiet spot to practice. The great thing is you can be inside or outside.
- Be in the right frame of mind. Reading requires focus. If you're tired or distracted or angry, you will struggle. Take a few minutes to recenter yourself before you start.
Get everything you need
- Print out your reading if you can. It's helpful to be able to take notes when you're learning. (Bring a pencil, too!)
- Use headphones if possible — they help you hear the melody clearly.
- Wear a kippah — it's customary.
Repetition is key to learning trop!
This is tippeḥa
Tippeḥa looks like a backward comma under the word, the mirror image of merekha.
Often paired with
Tippeḥa is often preceded by merekha, which resembles a comma. In our first lesson, we learned that merekha is a “conjunctive” trop and will always be connected with another ta’am. While we saw it with siluk in that lesson, it is most frequently connected with tippeḥa. Nevertheless, like siluk, tippeḥa can stand on its own.
Important note: Merekha’s melody depends on the trop it is partnered with. It will therefore sound different with tippeḥa than with siluk.
Important
Tippeḥa has two melodies
- It has one melody before every etnaḥta and any siluk except the last sentence of an Aliyah.
- It has a different melody before the very last siluk in the last sentence of the Aliyah.
Tippeḥa follows two important rules
- It will always be the last trop in a sentence before siluk/merekha siluk.
- It will always precede etnaḥta or munaḥ etnaḥta when they are present in a sentence.
About tippeḥa
"Normal" Tippeḥa
This is the tippeḥa melody used before etnaḥta and all but the last siluk. Listen and repeat.
Accent on later syllable
With multi-syllable words, the melody builds through the lead-in syllables and lands on the accented syllable.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
Accent on first syllable
With single-syllable words, you compress the melody into one syllable.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
"Normal" Merekha and Tippeḥa
Now practice the merekha-tippeḥa pair before etnaḥta and all but the last siluk.
Accent on later syllable
When both words have multiple syllables, the melody flows naturally through each word.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
Accent on first syllable
When one or both words are single-syllable, compress the melody for those words.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
"Final" Tippeḥa
This is the tippeḥa melody used before the last siluk in the last sentence of an Aliyah.
Accent on later syllable
With multi-syllable words, the final melody builds through the lead-in syllables.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
Accent on first syllable
With single-syllable words, you compress the final melody into one syllable.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
"Final" Merekha Tippeḥa
Now practice the merekha-tippeḥa pair before the last siluk in the last sentence of an Aliyah.
Accent on later syllable
When both words have multiple syllables, the final melody flows through each word.
Learn the melody
Practice with words
Accent on first syllable
When one or both words are single-syllable, compress the final melody for those words.