Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The set of syllables do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti, used to represent the tones of the scale.
- n. Use of these syllables.
- v. To use the sol-fa syllables or sing using these syllables.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- In music, to solmizate, or sing solfeggii.
- In music, to sing to solmizationsyllables instead of to words.
- n. In music:
- n. The syllables used in solmization taken collectively; the act or process of solmization; solfeggio; also, rarely, same as scale or gamut.
- n. See tonic sol-fa, under tonic.
- n. The roll or baton used by the leaders of Italian choirs.
- Of or pertaining to solmization in singing: as, the sol-fa method, or tonic sol-fa method.
Wiktionary
- n. a method of sight singing music that uses the syllables do (originally ut), re, mi, fa, sol (or so), la, and si (or ti) to represent the pitches of the scale, most commonly the major scale. The fixed-do system uses do for C, and the movable-do system uses do for whatever key the melody uses (thus B is do if the piece is in the key of B).
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To sing the notes of the gamut, ascending or descending.
- v. To sing to solmization syllables.
- n. The gamut, or musical scale. See Tonic sol-fa, under tonic, n.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a system of solmization using the solfa syllables: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti
Etymologies
- Italian solfa, from Medieval Latin : sol, note of the scale; see gamut + fa, note of the scale; see gamut. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“He was surrounded by music from birth and learned to sight-sing (that is, to use sol-fa syllables for practicing melodies).”
“The sol-fa scale consists of eight notes comprising an octave; each of the eight notes is one whole tone from the one before it, except for fa and do, which are only a half-tone higher than mi and ti respectively.”
“The notes indicated on the lines or in the spaces of the staff represent those of the sol-fa system the usual do re mi deal.”
“Had not unforeseen anxieties come upon us, no lot on earth could have been more perfectly delicious in the quality of enjoyment, both for body and spirit, than that sojourn upon the wild hill; among ourselves were innocence and union, consequently peace; time was profitably spent; and our recreations were, practice in the tonic sol-fa singing lessons, with sketching and rambling on foot or on horseback over the breezy heights of”
“To make the vibrating tongue was fairly easy, but to space the six finger-holes so as to get a sol-fa scale proved to be a matter of trial and error, exasperating to herself and excruciating to her hearers.”
“Singing by syllable means that the singer sings the tones of a song or part to the sol-fa syllables instead of to words, neutral vowels or the hum.”
“Sing by note" is not correct if the direction means simply to sing the sol-fa syllables, whether in sight reading, rote singing, or memory work.”
“The tune of My Country, 'Tis of Thee, as printed in tonic sol-fa notation below will make these points clear.”
“These terms are also often applied to classes in sight-singing which use the sol-fa syllables.”
“In the fifteenth century the leader of the Sistine Choir at Rome directed the singers with a roll of paper (called a "sol-fa"), held in his hand.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘sol-fa’.
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nouns
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It Has a Name??
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bad wotd
wotd that i think are lame
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beautiful words
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Tweets
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skipvia See also sacred harp. Feb 15, 2008
reesetee The set of syllables "do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti" sung to the respective notes of the major scale; the system of singing notes to these syllables; a musical scale or exercise thus sung. Feb 15, 2008