Solfege

[yerazhishda]

Re: Solfege

I'd say I'm from G to C, but I periodically restart from a lower or higher octave when I run out of range. Actually, I'm confused about what you mean by middle C, I thought middle C would've been in my first octave (I consider myself a baritone), not my second. I'd call the C in my second octave a higher C. I didn't learn this in school so I could very well be wrong.

I made a correction in my post, the baritone vocal range extends from F below the bass staff to F/G above middle C.

Middle C (C4) is the first C above the bass staff and the first C below the treble staff. If you've ever looked at piano music (the Grand Staff), it's the note right between the staves.

As a baritone you can cover 2 octaves, the first being F2 - F3, the second being F3 - F4. A baritone can only sing a C Maj scale from C3 - C4 (the highest note being middle C).

The other thing I believe I'm doing wrong, or in an unorthodox fashion, is to not distinguish between sharps and flats in my naming of the notes during singing. If it's a G#, I still say Sol, though I prefer to use the chromatic system you described. My piano teacher who doesn't teach me solfege simply told me to not distinguish, but I feel this limits me and I'm willing to specialize more.

This is a semi-controversial issue in music pedagogy. The difference you are talking about is between 'fixed Do' and 'movable Do'. Fixed Do is the method of solfege in which Do = middle C; you cannot make any other note 'Do'. Moveable Do is the exact opposite, you can move Do to any key you like. Each have their pros and cons which I won't go into unless you want me to.

To further explain the difference, here's an example.

Fixed Do
Do is always 'C'

C Maj scale solfeged would look like this:

do re mi fa sol la ti do
C D E F G A B C
w-w-h-w- w - w-h*

The relative minor of C Maj, A Min, solfeged would look like this:
la ti do re mi fa sol la
A B C D E F G A
w-h-w-w-h -w-w

G Maj solfeged:
sol la ti do re mi fi sol
G A B C D E F# G
w-w-h-w-w- w - h

Moveable Do
Do changes to the tonic of the key you are in

C Maj solfeged:
do re mi fa sol la ti do
C D E F G A B C

A Natural/Relative Min
do re me fa sol la te do
A B C D E F G A
w-h- w- w- h- w-w

*w = whole step, h = half step

[jgk3]

Re: Solfege

I use a fixed do system, I was not aware of this distinction. However I do not distinguish sharps or flats with se or si as flat and sharp of sol, I just call it sol. In fact, even if the note is written as a double sharp or double flat, I call it by what it appears on the sheet music. Thus a Sol double sharp would still be called a sol by me, even if I feel the need to call it a la.

Thanks for all the information though yeraz, and if you want toexplain, I'd be interested in knowing the pros and cons between the fixed to and the movable do systems.

[yerazhishda]

Re: Solfege

I use a fixed do system, I was not aware of this distinction. However I do not distinguish sharps or flats with se or si as flat and sharp of sol, I just call it sol. In fact, even if the note is written as a double sharp or double flat, I call it by what it appears on the sheet music. Thus a Sol double sharp would still be called a sol by me, even if I feel the need to call it a la.

Ahh, this is indeed very unorthodox (read: incorrect ). I suppose you could do it that way but in the end it might just confuse you and if you ever have to use solfege as a way of communicating with another musician, he'll probably be confused.

I would highly recommend that you learn the ascending and descending chromatic solfege scales so that you will be able to accurately discern between sharps/flats when you sight-read or any time you use solfege. What you should do is sit by a piano/keyboard and work out the ascending and descending chromatic scales individually until you have perfected them. Make sure to use proper breathing technique (support the note with air, you want it to be pure tone w/ no 'air' sound coming out, be 'greedy' with the air you use to make the sound). Then, try to solfege the chromatic scale ascending and descending one right after the other.

Thanks for all the information though yeraz, and if you want toexplain, I'd be interested in knowing the pros and cons between the fixed to and the movable do systems.

No problem.

Fixed Do
Pros: Gets the musician to recognize specific pitches, correlates with/is similar to Roman Numerical Analysis thus reinforcing each other, a lot more 'thorough' as it relates to music theory
Cons: It is very difficult to become 'fluent' in sight singing with this method

Moveable Do
Pros: Makes music theory much more 'internal' than 'theoretical', Easier to become fluent in sight singing, easier to modulate keys during sight singing, gets the student to easily recognize how various scales (major, natural min, harmonic min, melodic min, etc.) are constructed
Cons: Is not as 'thorough' as it relates to music theory.

When I was studying Music at uni I was taught using the latter system and I excelled with it. Fixed Do is really an archaic style of teaching sight-singing. However, I hear that my old school is trying to bring it back. Pedagogy is similar to how one year you'll hear "eggs are good for you" and then the next you'll hear "eggs are bad for you"; it goes in cycles.

Also keep in mind, these are just some of the major pros/cons of each system and is (obviously) by no means an exhaustive compendium.

[ara87]

Re: Solfege

Ascending Chromatic Scale:

Do di re ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti do

Descending Chromatic Scale:

Do ti te la le sol se fa mi re ra do

Lol, I remember the names. I meant I was rusty on the actual hand signs that go along with the notes though, we had to sign with our hands while singing.