definitions

tonic sol-fa

noun

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.

RELATED CONTENT

tonsil stonesRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
What’s The Difference Between “Yule” And “Christmas”?The lyric from "Deck the Halls" goes "Troll the ancient yuletide carol." Amidst all the fa-la-la-ing, did you ever ask yourself exactly what yule is?
READ MORE

Nearby words

tonic accent, tonic contraction, tonic convulsion, tonic epilepsy, tonic pupil, tonic sol-fa, tonic spasm, tonicity, tonicoclonic, tonight, tonk

Origin of tonic sol-fa

First recorded in 1850–55
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for tonic sol-fa

tonic sol-fa

noun

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 degreeSee solmization
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