tonic sol-fa

noun

1. a system of singing characterized by emphasis upon tonality or key relationship, in which tones are indicated by the initial letters of the syllables of the sol-fa system rather than by conventional staff notation.

tonic sol-fa

noun

1. See solmization
   a method of teaching music, esp singing, used mainly in Britain, by which the syllables of a movable system of solmization are used as names for the notes of the major scale in any key. In this system sol is usually replaced by so as the name of the fifth degree See solmization

Word History and Origins

Origin of tonic sol-fa¹

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Then they all learned songs together from tonic sol-fa, singing in a circle round the fire.

From Project Gutenberg

"I had learned the Tonic Sol-fa notation by heart before I was twenty," he added.

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

Instruction in sight-singing should begin by teaching the staff notation through the Tonic Sol-fa method.

From Project Gutenberg

"Dodo" may be impersonated by showing a bar of music containing the two representative notes of the tonic sol-fa method.

From Project Gutenberg