sol-fa

[ sohl-fah, sohl-fah ]

noun

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.
the system of singing tones to these syllables.

verb (used without object),sol-faed, sol-fa·ing.

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

verb (used with object),sol-faed, sol-fa·ing.

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

Origin of sol-fa

1560–70; sol¹ + fa; see gamut

Other words from sol-fa

sol-faist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sol-fa in a sentence

The boys sing a new piece to words at once, never sol-faing.
The Boy's Voice | J. Spencer Curwen

British Dictionary definitions for sol-fa

sol-fa

/ (ˈsɒlˈfɑː) /

noun

short for tonic sol-fa

verb-fas, -faing or -faed

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

Origin of sol-fa

C16: see gamut

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

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