Teaching Solfege tutorial

[jbtsax]

In another thread there seemed to be some interest in solfege*, especially as it applies to "playing by ear" and hearing intervals. Here is a brief, elementary, introduction to the concept based upon what I was taught in my university theory course as part of ear training called "sight singing" which we students affectionately dubbed as
Sight Screaming.

* the application of the sol-fa syllables to a musical scale or to a melody

 

[Jeanette]

In another thread there seemed to be some interest in solfege*, especially as it applies to "playing by ear" and hearing intervals. Here is a brief, elementary, introduction to the concept based upon what I was taught in my university theory course as part of ear training called "sight singing" which we students affectionately dubbed as
Sight Screaming.

* the application of the sol-fa syllables to a musical scale or to a melody

Printing now 🙂

 

[aldevis]

Beware that "Solfege" and "Solfeggio" are different things.
The concept behind jbt is far more useful than the traditional Italian discipline.
Beware that it is not easy and that troubles start at bar 23.

@tenorviol might want to chime in.

 

[richardr]

In another thread there seemed to be some interest in solfege*, especially as it applies to "playing by ear" and hearing intervals. Here is a brief, elementary, introduction to the concept based upon what I was taught in my university theory course as part of ear training called "sight singing" which we students affectionately dubbed as
Sight Screaming.

* the application of the sol-fa syllables to a musical scale or to a melody

Thanks for this. I don't sing but recognising intervals is vital for what I'm trying to do. So often I know what I want to play but there's no time to "hunt and peck".

 

[jbtsax]

Beware that "Solfege" and "Solfeggio" are different things.
The concept behind jbt is far more useful than the traditional Italian discipline.
Beware that it is not easy and that troubles start at bar 23.

@tenorviol might want to chime in.

I'm aware that there are two styles of solfege----fixed do and moveable do which is far more common. It should be obvious in my worksheet that it is based upon moveable do in which do is the tonic of any given major key.

 

[aldevis]

It should be obvious in my worksheet that it is based upon moveable do in which do is the tonic of any given major key.

Maybe some written introduction would make things even clearer.
Solfege (mobile Do, was it Orff?) is a dying discipline. Shame because is the way to learn things in 12 keys at once.

 

[Jeanette]

Homework done 🙂

Jx

 

[Jeanette]

I can see how this could be useful to transpose from one key to another but if I can't sing in tune I'm not sure how it's going to help me am I missing something?

Jx

 

[jbtsax]

I can see how this could be useful to transpose from one key to another but if I can't sing in tune I'm not sure how it's going to help me am I missing something? Jx

Do you have a piano or other keyboard instrument in your home? I would suggest playing, listening, and then singing the intervals along with the keyboard. Like this:

do, do - perfect unison, do, re - major 2nd, do, mi - major 3rd, do, fa - perfect 4th, do, sol - perfect 5th,
do, la - major 6th, do, ti - major 7th, do1, do2 - perfect octave.

My experience is that hearing pitch and singing in tune just takes practice. I also taught choir for a few years and had students who claimed to be tone deaf. It just took a bit of help and coaching to help them to hear pitches and sing in tune.

 

[Jeanette]

Do you have a piano or other keyboard instrument in your home

Thanks, we do have an old keyboard. I'll give it a go when I feel like singing 🙂

Jx

 

[Tenor Viol]

At secondary school we did some solfege when learning songs when I was in 1st and 2nd form (year 7 and 8?in modern parlance).

I know some people heavily involved with Kodaly technique which I think is based around solfege. I am having my arm twisted to go on a Kodaly course at Easter...

 

[Jeanette]

Just had a lightbulb moment, my tutor has me playing what he calls tonic pedals as part of scale exercises. e.g. D Maj play D E D F# DG, etc to top of scale and back down (over 2 octaves now he tells me) I think it was set more for dexterity so I tend to try and play at a reasonable speed but if I play slower and listen I can start learning the interval sounds........two birds as they say 🙂

Jx

 

[Dibbs]

@jtbsax You have di, ri, fi, si and li for sharps. Is there another set for flats?

 

[jbtsax]

1 Do
Raised 1 Di

Lowered 2 Ra
2 Re
Raised 2 Ri

Lowered 3 Ma
3 Mi

4 Fa
Raised 4 Fi

Lowered 5 Se
5 Sol
Raised 5 Si

Lowered 6 Le
6 La 9
Raised 6 Li

Lowered 7 Ta
7 Ti

 

[saxyjt]

Beware that "Solfege" and "Solfeggio" are different things.
The concept behind jbt is far more useful than the traditional Italian discipline.

It's quite interesting to see that the same discipline, basically , can be taught in so many different ways. I thought that being French all I needed to do to communicate with the rest of you guys, was to learn the ABCDEFG equivalent to our Do, Ré, Mi, Fa Sol, La, Si, Do, but there is obviously much more to it.

Since, I'm trying to learn to play Jazz I have to use the ABCDEFG and the related chords as part of our workshop. My kids, who are also attending "solfège" as its taught in French "Conservatoire, in a very traditional (not to say conservative), classical music oriented way, are struggling with the Jazz approach as it is not really taught in its own right.

Our Jazz tutor has been trying to offer a Jazz "theory" class, but I'm afraid his not been very successful yet.

So, I'm basically at a loss to understand what @aldevis is referring to when saying that "Solfège" and "Solfeggio" are different. Also the concept of movable and fixed do seams to be another unnecessary complication or just another way to explain the same thing differently. Is it not?

At the end of the day, I'm here trying to survive in the middle of all this and its complicated. Perhaps I'm too old to have a chance to make sense of all that ... But I'm still trying to make some minute progress, at least in playing, over and over to try and produce some sounds that might be pleasing to the ear. Still a long way to go! 😱

NB: And @jbtsax now redefines Si as G#... Oh, no, sorry, that's actually 5# or something. 😀

 

[jbtsax]

I'll let Aldevis explain his point. As I understand it in "fixed do" Do is always the note C so the G scale would be:
Sol La Ti Do Re Mi Fi Sol

 

[aldevis]

So, I'm basically at a loss to understand what @aldevis is referring to when saying that "Solfège" and "Solfeggio" are different. Also the concept of movable and fixed do seams to be another unnecessary complication or just another way to explain the same thing differently. Is it not?

OK...
In Italian and French we say C=Do, D=Re.... (barbarians start from A=La, that is a useless complication)
But there is a discipline that I would have called "solmization" (rather than "solfege") where the names of the notes (do re mi...) are related to the grade of the scale, rather than absolute pitch.

So "Frere Jacques" is always Do Re Mi Do, Do Re Mi Do... whatever note you start with. In F it would be FGAF, in G GABG, but with the "mobile Do" system the root is always "Do"

This system has strong limits in music that modulates often.

 

[aldevis]

I'll let Aldevis explain his point. As I understand it in "fixed do" Do is always the note C so the G scale would be:
Sol La Ti Do Re Mi Fi Sol

You wish... in Italy we ignore accidentals and key signature: Sollasidoremifasol.

And we have the sea (si). No tea, thank you.

 

[saxyjt]

And we have the sea (si). No tea, thank you.

Now looking forward to have a cup of café, looking at the sea! 😉

PS: I'm on my way to Malta next week...

 

[GJ77]

Maybe some written introduction would make things even clearer.
Solfege (mobile Do, was it Orff?) is a dying discipline. Shame because is the way to learn things in 12 keys at once.

It was indeed Orff.