sol-fa
Americannoun
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Music. the set of syllables, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti, sung to the respective tones of the scale. All but do and ti are attributed to Guido d'Arezzo.
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the system of singing tones to these syllables.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sol-fasimple
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sol-fassimple
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have sol-faedperfect
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has sol-faedperfect
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am sol-faingprogressive
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are sol-faingprogressive
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is sol-faingprogressive
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have been sol-faingperfect progressive
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has been sol-faingperfect progressive
Past
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sol-faedsimple
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had sol-faedperfect
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was sol-faingprogressive
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were sol-faingprogressive
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had been sol-faingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sol-fa
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Then they all learned songs together from tonic sol-fa, singing in a circle round the fire.
From Sons and Lovers by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)
Perowne unveiled, at the church of St. Laurence, Norwich, a bronze memorial in commemoration of the work done by Miss Sarah Ann Glover in the cause of sol-fa music.
From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Mackie, Charles
For many singers there is only one method of becoming good sight-readers, viz., combining the tonic sol-fa with the staff notation.
From The Influence of the Organ in History Inaugural Lecture of the Department of the Organ in the College of Music of Boston University by Buck, Dudley
Now was our over-abundant quaver and trilling done away, and in lieu thereof was instituted the sol-fa in such guise as is sung in his Majesty's Chapel.
From The Parish Clerk by Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
These terms are also often applied to classes in sight-singing which use the sol-fa syllables.
From Music Notation and Terminology by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson
There is nothing funnier than what the French call "natural sol-faing;" it consists in removing the real meaning of things and putting in their place other meanings which only distract us.
From Emile by Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
The boys sing a new piece to words at once, never sol-faing.
From The Boy's Voice A Book of Practical Information on The Training of Boys' Voices For Church Choirs, &c. by Curwen, John Spencer
We articulate the notes we sing the better to distinguish them; hence the custom of sol-faing with certain syllables.
From Emile by Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
There is nothing more natural than sol-faing by transposition, when the scale is transposed.
From Emile by Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
