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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.


verb (used without object)

  • sol-fas,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • sol-faed,
    past participle,  past
  • sol-faing
    present participle
  1. to use the sol-fa syllables in singing, or to sing these syllables.

verb (used with object)

  • sol-fas,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • sol-faed,
    past participle,  past
  • sol-faing
    present participle
  1. to sing to the sol-fa syllables, as a tune.

sol-fa British  
/ ˈsɒlˈfɑː /

noun

  1. short for tonic sol-fa

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


Etymology

Origin of sol-fa

1560–70; sol 1 + fa; see gamut


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:

They sing to la and sol-fa syllables scales gradually rising.

From The Boy's Voice A Book of Practical Information on The Training of Boys' Voices For Church Choirs, &c. by John Spencer Curwen

Then they all learned songs together from tonic sol-fa, singing in a circle round the fire.

From Sons and Lovers by D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence

At the same time I took sol-fa lessons from M. Savard who was excellent.

From My Recollections by Jules Massenet

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 Dudley Buck

These quiet words were Greek to Myra, conveying no more to her mind than if Jane had said: "I have been learning Tonic sol-fa."

From The Rosary by Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay

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 John Spencer Curwen

We articulate the notes we sing the better to distinguish them; hence the custom of sol-faing with certain syllables.

From Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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 Jean-Jacques Rousseau

There is nothing more natural than sol-faing by transposition, when the scale is transposed.

From Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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