Unit 2 Standard Notation to Solfege

Why Solfege?

"Audiation is the foundation of musicianship" (The Gordon Institute for Music Learning) When music is learned using the solfege system is builds upon auditation much more than learning through symbolic association (Reading notes on a staff.) Solfege sets a framework of eighth specific sounds that are the same sounds throughout every key. The note "B" can have unlimited applications which can get confusing where as the sound of "Sol" (The fifth degree in the solfege scale) has specific functions in music theory. Later when students are reading music they will have an easier time for they will be able to hear function of each note instead of simply matching the note on the page with a fingering. In conclusion, solfege promotes audiation when first learning music where learning to read standard notation hinders audiation when first learning music.

The next step in this mini-course is to translate the selected tunes from Unit 1 to solfege. The chart below represents how solfege is used. Each syllable corresponds with a certain scale degree. In this case I used the key of D Major. We will use this chart to find the solfege for the song "Hot Cross Buns"

Note	Scale Degree	Solfege
D	1	Do
E	2	Re
F#	3	Mi
G	4	Fa
A	5	Sol
B	6	La
C#	7	Ti
D	8	Do

I will give an example for the tune "Hot Cross Buns"

This tune is in the key of D Major which would make the note "D" the solfege syllable Do. That would make the "E" note Re and the F note "Mi". Therefore Hot Cross Buns in solfege would be "Mi Re Do Mi Re Do Do Do Do Do Re Re Re Re Mi Re Do"

For musicians this should be fairly simple. After solfege is written for all songs the next step is to present it to the students. In this case we will use colors.

This will help students differentiate each tone and introduce to them the idea of different symbols mean different sounds.

Continue to Unit 3 Rhythmic Solfege Back to Closing the gap between sound and sight