solfège

American  

[sol-fezh, -fej, sohl-] / sɒlˈfɛʒ, -ˈfɛdʒ, soʊl- /

noun

Music.

1. solfeggio.

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Etymology

Origin of solfège

First recorded in 1900–05; from French, from Italian

Explanation

In music class or in movies about music, you may have heard singing that uses solfege, a series of syllables starting "do, re, mi." These syllables can be used for the notes of the scale in any key. Solfège is French, from the Italian word solfeggio. Solfeggio is made up of sol + fa, two of the syllables used for the notes of the scale, plus the suffix -eggio indicating that it is a method or system. The international solfege syllables in order are do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do. In English, so is routinely used for the fifth note. Solfege allows people to learn the notes of a melody without worrying about the lyrics or what key it’s in.

Example Sentences

He was only fourteen when he won the first medal for solfège, and fifteen when he won the second pianoforte prize.

From Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande A Guide to the Opera with Musical Examples from the Score by Gilman, Lawrence

The solfège lessons are chiefly for ear-training and practical harmony.

From The Eurhythmics of Jaques-Dalcroze by Jaques-Dalcroze, Emile