Solfège Notation
What Is Solfège Notation?
Solfège assigns a unique syllable to each pitch or scale degree: Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si (or Ti). It is one of the oldest and most widely taught systems for ear training, sight-singing, and music education. Solfège exists in two fundamental forms — Fixed Do and Moveable Do — which differ in whether the syllables are tied to absolute pitches or to relative scale positions.
In Fixed Do solfège, each syllable corresponds to a specific pitch regardless of key: Do is always C, Re is always D, and so on. This is the standard in France, Italy, Spain, and most of Latin America, where solfège syllables function exactly like letter names. The French variant preserves the original syllable "Ut" for C instead of "Do."
In Moveable Do solfège, the syllable Do is always assigned to the tonic of whatever key you are in. This means Do is C in C major but G in G major. Chromatic alterations use modified syllables: ascending sharps become Di, Ri, Fi, Si, Li, while descending flats become Ra, Me, Se, Le, Te. Moveable Do is the standard for ear training in the United States, United Kingdom, and countries following the Kodály method.
Note Names
French (♯)
| Degree | French (♯) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Ut | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Ut♯ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Re♯ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Fa♯ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | Sol♯ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | La♯ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Si | B |
French (♭)
| Degree | French (♭) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Ut | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Re♭ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Mi♭ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Sol♭ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | La♭ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | Si♭ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Si | B |
Fixed Do Solfège (♯)
| Degree | Fixed Do Solfège (♯) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Do | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Do♯ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Re♯ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Fa♯ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | Sol♯ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | La♯ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Si | B |
Fixed Do Solfège (♭)
| Degree | Fixed Do Solfège (♭) | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Do | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Re♭ | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Mi♭ | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Sol♭ | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | La♭ | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | Si♭ | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Si | B |
Moveable Do Ascending
| Degree | Moveable Do Ascending | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Do | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Di | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Ri | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Fi | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | Si | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | Li | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Ti | B |
Moveable Do Descending
| Degree | Moveable Do Descending | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | Do | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | Ra | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | Re | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | Me | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | Mi | E |
| 4 | Fa | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | Se | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | Sol | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | Le | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | La | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | Te | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | Ti | B |
Where It's Used
- Conservatories in France, Italy, Spain, and Latin America (Fixed Do)
- Ear training and sight-singing programs worldwide
- Kodály method music education (Moveable Do)
- Choral rehearsals and vocal pedagogy
- Music theory classrooms for interval and scale degree identification
History & Origin
Solfège was invented by Guido d'Arezzo, an Italian Benedictine monk, around 1025 CE. He derived the syllables Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La from the first syllables of each half-line of the Latin hymn "Ut queant laxis," a hymn to Saint John the Baptist in which each phrase begins on a successively higher pitch. The seventh syllable Si (from "Sancte Iohannes") was added later to complete the octave. In the 17th century, the Italian music theorist Giovanni Battista Doni replaced "Ut" with "Do" (possibly from "Dominus" or his own surname), though French tradition retains "Ut" to this day. The distinction between Fixed Do and Moveable Do emerged as solfège spread across different pedagogical traditions, with the moveable system becoming prominent through the work of Sarah Glover, John Curwen, and later Zoltán Kodály in the 20th century.
How It Compares
The same twelve chromatic pitches in Solfège Notation vs other notation systems:
| English | French (♯) | English | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Ut | C | 1 |
| C♯/D♭ | Ut♯ | C♯ | 1♯ |
| D | Re | D | 2 |
| D♯/E♭ | Re♯ | E♭ | 3♭ |
| E | Mi | E | 3 |
| F | Fa | F | 4 |
| F♯/G♭ | Fa♯ | F♯ | 4♯ |
| G | Sol | G | 5 |
| G♯/A♭ | Sol♯ | A♭ | 6♭ |
| A | La | A | 6 |
| A♯/B♭ | La♯ | B♭ | 7♭ |
| B | Si | B | 7 |
Using Solfège Notation in Tunable
Tunable supports Solfège Notation alongside 14 other notation systems. Switch notation in Settings → Tuner → Notation to display all note names, scale degrees, and chord roots in Solfège Notation throughout the app.
FAQ
What is the difference between Fixed Do and Moveable Do?
In Fixed Do, each syllable always corresponds to the same absolute pitch (Do = C, Re = D, etc.). In Moveable Do, the syllable Do shifts to the tonic of whatever key you are in, so the syllables describe function rather than absolute pitch.
Why does French solfège use Ut instead of Do?
"Ut" is the original syllable from Guido d'Arezzo's 11th-century system. The Italian replacement "Do" was introduced in the 17th century for easier singing, but French tradition preserved the original "Ut" for the first scale degree.
Which solfège system is better for learning music?
Neither is inherently better — they serve different purposes. Moveable Do excels at ear training and understanding tonal function across keys. Fixed Do excels at sight-reading and developing absolute pitch associations. Many professional musicians are fluent in both.
What are chromatic solfège syllables?
In Moveable Do, chromatic notes use modified syllables. Ascending alterations raise the vowel to 'i': Do→Di, Re→Ri, Fa→Fi, Sol→Si, La→Li. Descending alterations lower the vowel to 'e' or 'a': Re→Ra, Mi→Me, Sol→Se, La→Le, Ti→Te.