Solfege is not a mystery that can’t be dispelled. It is actually a really good skill to have and something that will allow you to have tonnes of fun when you start to get it right.
Solfege is a system of naming notes in relation to the root note. Music theory is a must for learning solfege. Solfege is helpful to musicians to internalize sounds and the relationship the notes have in the scale. An adept solfege singer will be able to sing written music very efficiently if not immediately.
There is a little more to this than meets the eye (cause it has hand signs too), a little bit of theory, hand signs, and ear training makes this skill quite unique to have. Other than the hand signs which I have forgotten, I actually use this almost every time I pick up a sheet of music and even sometimes when I am composing.
Fixed Do
Fixed Do implies that the ‘Do’ starts at C. Regardless of what scale you are singing in. It means that if you are singing in A minor then the C present in the A minor is still sung as ‘Do’ instead of ‘mei’.
There might be some advantages to going with a fixed ‘Do’ but the whole thing is lost on me. I prefer to choose the moveable do. It allows for a simple transition to other scales.
If you’ve read any other article I make a point for my readers to understand that yes, getting good at ear training is important and almost necessary to become a successful singer.
However, relative pitch is ten times more important than having the magical ‘perfect pitch’. In a similar vein, understanding the relationship between the intervals is ten times more important than defining what ‘Do’ is or isn’t.
Also, it’s also attached to the myth that perfect pitch can be achieved through a fixed-do method. Might be true but I am not willing to train my voice or my ear for the eventuality of just getting the perfect pitch. My time, energy, and resource are ten times better utilized in understanding how intervals sound and in my ability to differentiate them rather than the alternative which has no sound reasoning to be true.
Music Theory
If you are someone who has been allured by what is possible by this but does not understand music theory, you’d have to learn it. It’s quite beautiful when you see that words, hand signs, and other things are related to different pitches.
It’s an art form. I believe keeping it alive will have more benefits than forgetting it. It will help you tremendously, especially when you are reading music and that too in your head or doing the opposite, hearing it in your head and writing it down as it is.
All of which is only possible if you understand music theory. Actually, it’s only possible if you understand music theory. My reason for emphasizing so much on music theory is partly because it’s easy enough to pick up.
Too many times I see singers and guitarists going about their business without being able to even read music. You’re missing out. Whatever your fears are about learning music theory, we have to dispel them and get them out of the dark.
Moveable Do
A moveable ‘Do’ is what it implies and it’s completely opposite of what a fixed ‘Do’ is. Obviously.
It essentially means that the root note, regardless of what it is, is the Do. It’s the start of it and upon which the scale that you are singing is made. Every interval will relate to this Do and it’s easier to navigate. Way easier.
The way it works from the perspective of the ear is easy. Because you have learned what a major third or any other interval sounds like from the Do, you can now sing in other scales as long as you know what the Do is.
You don’t have to worry about what particularly this Do is, for example, we won’t care if it’s a G or a B or a C#. We don’t. We know what a major third above the ‘Do’ sounds like and so we sing effortlessly and have fun,
This also means that when you are reading music and trying to make out what it sounds like, you can pick a ‘Do’ that you know you are comfortable singing in.
Also, tremendously helpful when you’re working on improving your range.
That’s why I prefer singing with a moveable Do. It’s fun, it’s simpler and it works without any flaws. Now you know the difference. Let’s move on.
Hand Signs
Solfege uses hand signs to indicate what is being sung. If you’re singing ‘Do’ then there is a hand sign associated with it. Consequently, every other interval and note within the scale gets its own sign.
What For?
You might ask why?
The reason is simple. We associate images with sounds, tastes, and other things with other things. For example, if I say sky, you think of a blue one. You associate the word sky, even though you’re thinking of scenery with the color blue. We also get hungry when we see photos of tasty food.
If I say blue and ask you to think about something blue, you will name a place like a sea or something that represents blue never the color itself. If you do, you’ll probably think of the paint as well.
So, therein lies the reason why for hand signs. We associate the sound with the shape we are making with our hands.
It’s also another level of internalizing sound.
First, we hear the sound.
Second, through music theory, we understand the relationship between two or more notes. (fixed or moveable Do).
Then, ALONG with knowing and understanding the sound, we add the visual cue of what a sound ought to be.
Worth it?
So, is learning solfege worth it?
100%
Without a doubt, I perform it without the hand signs and in all honesty, have forgotten them as well. But, doesn’t change the fact that I can hear a Major Third above the root without a doubt and most of the time I am using solfege.
Even though it may be inside my head.
How Practical Is It?
Even though I may rate it 100% that it ought to be learned its practicality has limits.
This is my proposal.
Learn the basics and nothing more. It’s not going to benefit you that much. If you’re an everyday musician, being aware of it is good enough, to be honest. I believe that learning things that bring you closer to your goals is far more important than something that doesn’t help you get anywhere.
Unfortunately, solfege singing is one of them. It’s good to be aware of and any further education in it should come from a thoughtful process of what you want to learn.
If you’re not planning to be in a music college and using that as a method to learn ear training and will be sight singing a lot then that is the only time that I would ask you to go all in for solfege.
What Do You Plan?
And that brings us to this, goals. It’s important. If you see yourself using solfege as a medium to learn new pieces or songs and you’re fiddling around with sheet music on a daily basis then it will work amazingly but if you’re a stay-at-home producer who records their own album then you’re probably never going to end up using them.
I would suggest understanding solfege but letting the hand signs be. Don’t add that level of difficulty, something you won’t be using in the near future.
Ear Training
Ear training is one of those things that will require you to understand the music theory behind it to understand what music theory concepts sound like.
Knowing solfege is one of those ways to get better at it. Singers can develop this skill pretty quickly because they’re associating words with sounds and since they’ve been singing it’s easier for them to make the connection and make ear training easier for them.
Of course, I struggled so much with ear training that I picked up singing and even solfege singing to aid me in getting better. Did it work? It did. I made more progress since I started to sing than I have with just my instrumental approach.
It worked the opposite way around too. Since it is ear training and you’re sitting there and trying to understand how things sound, once I started to hear the differences in my voice and was able to distinguish them because of it, that skill flowed into my ability to translate what I was hearing into what I was playing as well.
Again, in ear training, while you could hand signs, I would recommend if you’re not into it that much you let it be.
When You Shouldn’t Learn
Maybe you’re wondering if this doesn’t fit into your life at all and that’s fine. If you don’t see yourself in a college environment or you are filled with written sheet music.
You can get by even in ear training with vocalizing. Don’t worry too much about it. I think you should also read this. Even if you are reading and writing music and aren’t really actively performing it, solfege is a skill you can just skip over. You don’t need it to work in your favor because it rarely will rear its head to help you.
Yes, Indian classical music uses a similar technique as solfege but you must also understand that it is again a matter of your goals. If your boat is being swayed to those waters then why not?
But if it isn’t, you can pretty much get by without it. I learned it but I barely use it and given how well I know myself and how I control the environment that I am in right now and will be, solfege has no place in my musical life.
If you too can predict your musical life, give it some thought, then always know that it’s okay not to learn something and it’s fine to keep things at just an understanding level. You don’t need to master every aspect of music to its highest degree in order to be decent at music.
Controversial as it may be, it is highly practical and true. If you’re fine with just creating good-sounding and simple music, then it is what it is. Everyone should respect that.
Put Solfege In Its Place!
So, I think it is time to take a hard look at what you have to do. If your musical life will even come close to using this ability and if you will benefit from learning this skill?
It will take a while but I think you should spend some serious time trying to evaluate if you ought to pursue something like this. It can help but if you’re already good at ear training and decent at singing, why bother?
But if you’re curious about it, that by itself is a reason enough to learn. It’s true, you won’t know it until you try it but I think you should try to understand it before you put it to the test.
The reason I am asking you to take a hard look is that I believe that a lot of singing can be done without the solfege singing and even the exercises that are given in modern day courses are void of them. The focus is more on technique.
That’s the end goal anyways right? To be able to sing and if you find yourself in that position where you are willing to give it the time it requires and then apply those skills to a particular set of scenarios then knowing solfege will be beneficial.
Here is an article on the importance of learning from online courses. And here is a page dedicated to which online course you ought to get.
I really hope this article helped you understand and shed some light as to not just what solfege is but if it’s even worth considering your time. Feel free to check out other articles!