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Letter names, numbers, fixed do, moveable do, do based minor, la based minor – which solmization can help music students the most?

Letter Names

Note letter names (“cee-sharp” for the note C#) are a poor choice for students because students must know music theory before they can use them, and pitch alterations require extra syllables. Music is not about notation symbols (an element of music theory), it is about sound, so the value of tying solfege to notation is debatable, especially for younger students who need to learn musical sounds before they learn music theory.

Numbers

Numbers (“one” for the resting tone, “seven” for the leading tone) are something most music students already know how to say, however again “seven” requires an extra syllable, the same number pattern (e.g., 5 3 1) is sung with different pitches in different tonalities, and there is a cognitive dissonance when the pitch goes down but the numbers go up (e.g., when 1 is preceded by 7).

Fixed Do

Fixed do syllables are strongly tied to notation. Do is always the note C, mi is always the note E, etc. If the keyality of the tune changes, so must the solfege. While fixed do is thought to promote perfect pitch, the effectiveness and value of this is again debatable, as it is not pitches, but rather tonal patterns in the context of tonality that give rise to musical meaning and understanding. Fixed do is used in France with children from a young age.

Moveable Do – Do Based Minor

Moveable do with a do based minor is not so tied to keyality as fixed do and can thus better serve students’ musical needs, since they can learn tonal syllables in the Ionian (major) mode before they learn music theory. In moveable do with a do based minor, do is always the resting tone no matter the keyality or tonality of the tune.

The downside to a do based minor system, which means all modes are also do based, is not only the connection to music theory, but the number of syllable alterations required to sing in modes such as Phrygian or Locrian. This adds to the confusion of the system. This system is used mostly in North American Universities where it is expected that the students already know music theory, how to audiate, and are capable of the mental gymnastics demanded by extensive syllable alterations in distant modes.

Moveable Do – La Based Minor

Moveable do with a la based minor has no ties to music notation or music theory, so young students can use the syllables in any mode or tonality before they learn music theory and notation. Do is the resting tone in major, re in dorian, so in mixolydian, etc., so very few syllable alterations are required. Each tone requires only one syllable. Most importantly, moveable do with a la based minor preserves a fundamental element of musical understanding: tonal patterns, which hold true in any tonality or keyality.

Because moveable do with a la based minor can be used easily by students in any mode before they learn music theory and preserves tonal patterns, it is the best system of solmization.

“Notes” On Tonal Syllables

Tonal syllables should always be used on tonal patterns in isolation; never on an entire tune or with rhythm, when neutral syllables like “bum” or “doo” are more appropriate. Tonal syllables should first be learned for familiar patterns (not intervals) the students already know by ear, after a repertoire of tunes has been acquired, but before music theory. Solfege should be always sung, never written or spoken.

Once internalized, tonal syllables will be unconsciously audiated by the student, and only brought into conscious use when facing an unfamiliar or challenging passage. By helping students organize what they hear, tonal syllables, especially moveable do with a la based minor, facilitate the retention and use of a greater number of tonal patterns, thus serving the process of musical thought, which is called audiation.

Disclaimer

Everything I know about tonal syllables I learned from Dr. Edwin Gordon by reading his book Learning Sequences in Music and studying his band method Jump Right In: the instrumental series, which he created in conjunction with Dr. Christopher Azzara and Dr. Richard Grunow. If you want to learn more about rhythm syllables, last week I wrote Battle of the Rhythm Syllables.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 1st, 2007 at 9:19 am and is filed under music education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.