Above is embedded a recording of the first 30 seconds of Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁϥⲉⲛϥ with each hazza/note on the hymn map highlighted as to see physically how to read the sheet rather than just reading instructions below. Nevertheless below is a tutorial on how to read the Hazzat font and Coptic Cantor hymn maps. The best way to get the hang of reading the hymn maps is by listening to the hymn (or chanting it if you know it well) while looking at the sheet and the below tips will come naturally.
If you expected how to read Coptic, please visit copticphonics.com for Greco-Bohairic pronunciation lessons.
The hazzat are read in the direction of the language (so for Coptic and English would be left to right; if Arabic, right to left) and from bottom to top.
The length of each line is how long the note is held; depending who is chanting the hymn a full note can sound like two half notes and vice versa (as seen above with Ⲫⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲁϥⲉⲛϥ in the middle of the first line the stack of 2 full notes and 1 double note.)
Each period is to notate a time to pause/breathe. It usually lasts the time of a full note. If multiple periods wait that number of note lengths (2 periods = 2 full notes)
The length and time for a “half” or “full” note is relative to each other in hymns; one half note might not be the same length between two hymns. [Might even be different for different parts of the hymn but relative within that part]
The tilde (~) looking note/notation is like a vibrating note; but can also be represented by a number of stacked short notes (generally 3) as can be seen on some hymn maps on this site. Just like normal notes, if there are two (~~) it is as if 2 notes long.
When a set of notes are repeated (denoted within parentheses with a “x#” superscript) it can either be repeated the exact same tone, or can be increasing/decreasing tone each repetition.
The up arrow indicates moving to a higher note, while the down arrow is moving to a lower note. (usually increasing/decreasing as you progress in the stack)
The forward arrow indicates to say the underlined part fast (usually the length of a single half/full note)
The wave-like arrow (somewhat like this ↝) indicates moving to the next stack of notes quickly/abruptly; can also be seen as if stacking the following stack on top of the previous stack (but easier to read than 2 overlaid long stacks)
If a set of notes is in brackets and labeled as subscript “…①” and “[. . .]…①” appears elsewhere, refer to the first set for the notes and repeat it exactly the same.
On this site if a letter is indicated in red, it is not in the Coptic text itself but that sound is chanted. If the letter is indicated in gray, the letter is silent (usually Greek words due to Greek phonetics)
If a letter is repeated in parentheses it can mean one of two things: the sound extended to another line/part/page and is a reminder as to what vowel is being chanted, OR sometimes vowels when chanted melismatically can change sound to another vowel and the repeat in parentheses tells you to return to the true vowel sound.