sol-fa

American  

[sohl-fah, sohl-fah] / ˌsoʊlˈfɑ, ˈsoʊlˌfɑ /

noun

1. Music. the set of syllables, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and ti, sung to the respective tones of the scale. All but do and ti are attributed to Guido d'Arezzo.

2. the system of singing tones to these syllables.

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verb (used without object)

sol-faed, sol-faing

1. to use the sol-fa syllables in singing, or to sing these syllables.

verb (used with object)

sol-faed, sol-faing

1. to sing to the sol-fa syllables, as a tune.

sol-fa British  

/ ˈsɒlˈfɑː /

noun

1. short for tonic sol-fa

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verb

1. to use tonic sol-fa syllables in singing (a tune)

Other Word Forms

• sol-faist noun

Etymology

Origin of sol-fa

1560–70; sol ¹ + fa; see gamut

Example Sentences

Free use is made of the tonic sol-fa as well as the standard notation in many musical examples.

From The Influence of the Organ in History Inaugural Lecture of the Department of the Organ in the College of Music of Boston University by Buck, Dudley

Now, perhaps we had better sol-fa the tune. 

From Two on a Tower by Hardy, Thomas

Singing by syllable means that the singer sings the tones of a song or part to the sol-fa syllables instead of to words, neutral vowels or the hum.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson

For many singers there is only one method of becoming good sight-readers, viz., combining the tonic sol-fa with the staff notation.

From The Influence of the Organ in History Inaugural Lecture of the Department of the Organ in the College of Music of Boston University by Buck, Dudley

Perowne unveiled, at the church of St. Laurence, Norwich, a bronze memorial in commemoration of the work done by Miss Sarah Ann Glover in the cause of sol-fa music. 

From Norfolk Annals A Chronological Record of Remarkable Events in the Nineteeth Century, Vol. 2 by Mackie, Charles