tonic sol-fa

American  

noun

1. a system of singing characterized by emphasis upon tonality or key relationship, in which tones are indicated by the initial letters of the syllables of the sol-fa system rather than by conventional staff notation.

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tonic sol-fa British  

noun

1. a method of teaching music, esp singing, used mainly in Britain, by which the syllables of a movable system of solmization are used as names for the notes of the major scale in any key. In this system sol is usually replaced by so as the name of the fifth degree See solmization

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Etymology

Origin of tonic sol-fa

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

The tune of My Country, 'Tis of Thee, as printed in tonic sol-fa notation below will make these points clear.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson

"Dodo" may be impersonated by showing a bar of music containing the two representative notes of the tonic sol-fa method.

From Breakfasts and Teas Novel Suggestions for Social Occasions by Pierce, Paul

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

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

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