Do-Re-Mi or Fa-So-La?

We had some discussion last week, in the introduction to Shape Notes/Sacred Harp about the “Fa-So-La” notation that’s probably the most common structure in Sacred Harp singing, with a scale of Fa-So-La-Fa-So-La-Mi-Fa. Both of these are examples of Solfège, which is a music education method to teach pitch and sight singing.

Many people of my generation, at least, probably think of the Sound of Music when we talk about do-re-mi, and the song of that name as done by Julie Andrews. But this seven note solfège is ancient, as discussed in the Wikipedia article linked above, among other sources.

In the eleventh century, a six note scale was proposed by Guido of Arezzo, which was ut-re-mi-fa-so-la. Ti (or si) was added shortly later and ut became do. This six-note scale is also sometimes referred to as Guidonian Hand, after a hand-based mnemonic to remember the notes and positions.

During Eizabethan England (late 16th and early 17th century), a simplified version came into vogue, with the four syllable solfège, that was designed to be easier to read and understand. It was out of these same roots that the singing schools arose and this same four note solfège persists in the Sacred Harp/Shape Note singing of today.

• Demonstrate scales in multiple keys

A key point to understand is that for most music education programs, we use a “movable” solfege, so that “do” is the base note of the key. If the music is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats), do corresponds to C. If the music has one sharp (key of G major), do corresponds to G. And if the music has one flat (key of F major), then do corresponds to F. Regardless of the key, a major scale (e.g. C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C) is two whole steps, a half step, three whole steps, and a half step.

Fa-so-la with just four shapes was (and I agree) easier to see and read than seven different shapes. The singer simply needs to understand that “fa” (a triangle) is always a half step above the note below it, and everything else is a whole step above the note below it. For us citified musicians, we have to remember the key signature to know whether that note on the third line of the treble clef is a B natural (as in the key of C) and therefore a half step below the third space (C) or it’s a B flat (as in the key of F) and therefore a whole step below the third space (C).

At least for me, as a fairly classically trained musician, the shape notation seems complex and confusing. But I can also see the beauty and simplicity of the system for training people to sight read and sing music in church. That’s why it was created and it is something I think that opens up music to a group of people who might well otherwise be intimidated by it.