Editing Solfège (section)

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{short description|Music teaching method}}
{{For|similar terms|Solfeggietto|Solfege (manga)}}
In music, '''solfège''' (British English {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɔː|l|f|ɛ|ʒ}} or American English {{IPAc-en|s|ɑː|l|ˈ|f|ɛ|ʒ}}, {{IPA|fr|sɔlfɛʒ|lang}}) or '''solfeggio''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ɒ|l|ˈ|f|ɛ|dʒ|i|oʊ}}; {{IPA|it|solˈfeddʒo|lang}}), also called '''sol-fa''', '''solfa''', '''solfeo''', among many names, is a [[mnemonic]] used in teaching [[aural skills]], [[Pitch (music)|pitch]] and [[sight-reading]] of [[Western classical music|Western music]]. Solfège is a form of [[solmization]], though the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

[[Syllable]]s are assigned to the notes of the [[Scale (music)|scale]] and assist the musician in [[Gordon music learning theory#Audiation|audiating]], or mentally hearing, the pitches of a piece of music, often for the purpose of singing them aloud. Through the [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]] (and much later in some [[shapenote]] publications) various interlocking four-, five- and six-note systems were employed to cover the octave. The [[tonic sol-fa]] method popularized the seven syllables commonly used in English-speaking countries: ''do'' (spelled ''doh'' in [[tonic sol-fa]]),<ref name="oed">''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' 2nd Ed. (1998) {{page needed|date=March 2011}}</ref> ''re'', ''mi'', ''fa'', ''so(l)'', ''la'', and ''ti'' (or ''si'') (see [[Fixed do solfège|below]]).

There are two current ways of applying solfège: 1) [[#Fixed do solfège|fixed do]], where the syllables are always tied to specific pitches (e.g., "do" is always "C-natural") and 2) [[#Movable do solfège|movable do]], where the syllables are assigned to [[scale degree]]s, with "do" always the first degree of the major scale.