Solfege Note Names

by Courtney

Question: Hello, I am a beginner at playing the keyboard and I have just been learning to read notes.





My teacher has given me notes to practice - like quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes.

I am not sure where my fingers go, and he hasn't told me C, D, A, F, etc. He has taught me these ones: Sol, La, Do, Mi, Fa, etc.

How do I read those notes?

Albert's reply: Great question, Courtney. Fortunately the answer is simple: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti (or si) are simply the note names C, D, E, F, G, A and B in French and Italian!

Worldwide, the solfège system is used for singing notes. Using do, re, mi... in place of C, D, E... is standard, and probably easier to sing.

"Do Re Mi" from the Sound of Music is a wonderful song for learning the solfège syllables. You may know the lyrics:

Do - a deer, a female deer
Re - a drop of golden sun...

The song goes up the C major scale, introducing each solfège syllable with its corresponding note!




Comments for
Solfege Note Names

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Mar 08, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Thanks
by: courtney

Hi, thanks, I now understand why he had gave me the sol, la, do etc. and now I can easily read notes.

Thank you,

Courtney

Oct 19, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Help with simple alphabetical notes for Do Re Mi
by: Anonymous

I have the alphabetical names for the notes to Do Re Mi up to Fa but I don't know what to play on the piano for So, a needle pulling thread; La, a note to follow So; Ti, I drink with jam and bread; and Do again.

Dec 04, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Re: Help with simple alphabetical notes for Do Re Mi
by: Albert

Simply continue up the C major scale! In fixed do solfège, do is C (and C-flat, C-sharp, etc.), re is D (and D-flat, D-sharp), mi is E (and E-flat, E-sharp, etc.), fa is F, sol (sometimes called so in English, as in this song) is G, la is A and si or ti is B.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Sight Reading Questions