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; gamut

Example Sentences

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

Miss Glover was the author of the sol-fa notation, from which sprang the tonic sol-fa system.

From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Mackie, Charles

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)

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.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson

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