1
SOLFA NOTATION - Grade 1
(Unisa learners only.)
Music written on a staff is called staff notation. There is another way of writing
music. It is called solfa notation.
Solfa notation was developed by Curwen in Engeland in 1841. The aim was to
make sight reading easier for beginners. Prior to that, other similar systems were
used.
1. PITCH.
Seven solfa syllables are used to indicate pitch:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
doh ray mi fah soh lah ti
In staff notation we name the tone degrees: tonic, supertonic, mediant, ens.
In solfa notation we name them doh, ray, mi, etc.
These solfa syllables are abbreviated, and small letters are used to indicate
them. The letters are written on one level:
Abbreviated: d r m f s l t
In solfa notation the key (key note / tonic) is indicated at the beginning of a
piece:
EXAMPLE: Doh is C = C major (tonic is C)
Doh is G = G major (tonic is G)
Doh is F = F major (tonic is F)
In grade 1 you are only going to work with these three keys.
In the following example you can see the scale of C major with the solfa
notation at the bottom.
2
Doh is C
Staff
notation
Solfa d r m f s l t d1
notation
In grade 1 you are only working with the first 5 degrees from doh soh.
(The top C is indicated with a 1 in superscript.)
Ex. 2/1
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1 How many solfa syllables are used to indicate pitch? _ _ _
2 How would you indicate the key of a solfa notation in C major?
_____________
3 Complete the following solfa notation of the first 5 degrees in C major:
Doh is_ _ _ _
d __ m __ s
2. TIME SIGNATURES AND NOTE VALUES.
In solfa notation there are bar lines, but no staff:
Solfa notation: Staff notation:
Beats are divided by colons ( : ).
Solfa notation: Staff notation:
2
4
beat beat
(Two crotchets in a bar)
3
3
4
beat beat beat
(Three crotchets in a bar)
Note: We indicate beats with a bracket only to explain the
work. It is not part of solfa notation.
Crotchets get one beat (one count). Crotchets on doh will be written
as follows:
Solfa notation: Staff notation:
Doh is C
2
4
3
4
A minim is equal to two crotchets and gets two beats (two
counts). Minims are indicated by a dash (-) . Minims on doh will
be written as follows:
Solfa notation: Staff notation:
Doh is C
2
4
When we rewrite music from solfa notation to staff notation, it is called
transcription. Transcription means to rewrite.
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Ex. 4/1
TRANSCRIBE THE FOLLOWING PHRASES, WHICH ARE IN SOLFA
NOTATION, TO STAFF NOTATION:
Hint: First write the time signature (and bar lines if necessary).
Doh is C
1
3
4
2
2
4
3
3
4
4
3
4
Ex. 4/2
WRITE THE FOLLOWING TWO-BAR PHRASES FROM SOLFA
NOTATION TO STAFF NOTATION:
Doh is C
1
2
4
2
3
4
3
2
4
5
4
3
4
5
3
4
Two tied crotchets across a bar line are also equal to a minim and
indicated by a dash (-).
EXAMPLES:
Doh is C
2
4
3
4
Ex. 5/1
WRITE THE FOLLOWING TWO-BAR PHRASES FROM SOLFA
NOTATION TO STAFF NOTATION:
Doh is C
1
2
4
3
4
3
4
6
You already know that you have to write the pitches doh to soh for grade 1.
They are of course the first 5 degrees of the scale.
EXAMPLE: Doh is C
Solfa notation: Staff notation:
3
4
Ex. 6/1
NOTATE THE FOLLOWING TWO-BAR PHRASES FROM SOLFA
NOTATION TO STAFF NOTATION:
Doh is C
1
3
4
2
2
4
3
3
4
4
2
4
5
3
4
6
2
4
7
2
4
7
8
3
4
9
3
4
10
3
4
11
3
4
12
3
4
3 OTHER KEYS.
EXAMPLE:
Doh is G
d r m f s l t d1
An example in G major: Doh is G
3
4
Repeat Ex. 6/1 with
Doh is G and Doh is F
Work on your own music paper.
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