sol-fa

American  

[sohl-fah, sohl-fah] / ˌsoʊlˈfɑ, ˈsoʊlˌfɑ /

noun

1. 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.

2. the system of singing tones to these syllables.

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verb (used without object)

sol-faed, sol-faing

1. to use the sol-fa syllables in singing, or to sing these syllables.

verb (used with object)

sol-faed, sol-faing

1. to sing to the sol-fa syllables, as a tune.

sol-fa British  

/ ˈsɒlˈfɑː /

noun

1. short for tonic sol-fa

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verb

1. to use tonic sol-fa syllables in singing (a tune)

Other Word Forms

• sol-faist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sol-fa

1560–70; sol ¹ + fa; see gamut

Example Sentences

The oldest of these is an edition of Marot and Beza's Psalms, dated 1567, and having music set to many of the Psalms in staff and sol-fa notation.

From Chronicles of Strathearn by Macdougall, W. B.

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

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

Free use is made of the tonic sol-fa as well as the standard notation in many musical examples.

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

By the phonetic system any spoken language can now be learned quickly and easily, just as by the sol-fa system the teaching of music was made easy and simple.

From Society for Pure English, Tract 02 On English Homophones by Bridges, Robert Seymour