Klarinet Archive - Posting 001058.txt from 1998/05

From: Rich & Tani Miller <musicians@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Solfeggio
Date: Mon, 18 May 1998 20:12:14 -0400

Carl: It's not the syllables themselves that are important. It's the aural
component that accompanies, hopefully, the syllables. Music learning theory
refers to this as audiation. Audiation is the ability to hear pitches and
rhythms and patterns of pitches and rhythms in your mind without the music
actually being present. Ear training. The syllables are just a tool to help
achieve this.

Tani

Carl Schexnayder wrote:

> I just don't understand why all of this is necessary! I mentioned before
> that, when sight-singing, I simply finger the notes either in my head or on
> the desk, or on my leg, or whatever. Another method that would be much
> better, (for me), would be to sing the names of the notes. What happens
> when there is a modulation? I know that you addressed these issues, but I
> still think that any kind of solfeggio just complicates matters.
> Furthermore and even better, what, (heaven forbid), do you do if the line is
> a-tonal?
>
> Carl Schexnayder
>
> >Most instructors who have taught sight-singing for years have either
> >chosen -- or developed -- a system with which they feel comfortable.
> >There are a variety of approaches:
> >
> >Moveable DO
> >^^^^^^^^^^^
> >
> >1. In the moveable DO system, the tonic pitch is DO whether it be
> > C, A flat, or F sharp.
> >
> >2. In some moveable DO procedures the tonic pitch of minor keys
> > is represented by LA. The advantage of this system is that the
> > MI-FA syllables represent a half-step interval in major and
> > minor keys.
> >
> >3. Advocates of this plan argue that it establishes the same syllable
> > pattern no matter what the key and is thus more effective, especially
> > for beginning students. Antagonists sometimes agree that initial
> > results are favorable, but contend that students are in the long run
> > (especially in melodies that modulate) forced into complicated
> > procedures that inhibit the natural flow of sightsinging.
> >
> >4. Ascending 12 tone moveable DO syllables:
> > Do-Di-Re-Ri-Mi-Fa-Fi-Sol-Si-La-Li-Ti-
> >
> > Descending 12 tone moveable DO syllables:
> > Do-Ti-Te-La-Le-Sol-Se-Fa-Mi-Me-Re-Ra-
> >
> >
> >Fixed DO
> >^^^^^^^^
> >
> >1. DO is always the same note (usually C) regardless of the key.
> >
> >2. Protagonists of fixed DO point out that since particular lines or
> > spaces of each staff are always associated with the same syllable,
> > the system encourages true reading skills and is thus superior to
> > any other method. Others believe that fixed DO, compared to
> > moveable DO, is more difficult to master and does not accentuate
> > as clearly the basic pattern of whole and half-steps in major
> > and minor scales.
> >
> >3. Ascending 12 tone fixed DO syllables:
> > Do-Di-Re-Ri-Me-Mi-Fi-Sol-Si-La-Li-Ti-
> >
> > Descending 12 tone fixed Do syllable:
> > Do-Ti-Te-La-Le-Sol-Se-Fa-Mi-Me-Re-Ra-
> >
> >
> >In addition to the syllables approach, some instructors (or entire
> >schools, usually) choose alternate systems. When I was at Eastman
> >10 years ago, they taught using the degree numbers of the chromatic
> >scale. Thus 1-2-3-4-5...etc. They used the MOVEABLE number system,
> >where #1 would be the tonic regardless of key, and each degree of
> >the scale from that point upward would emanate from 1.
> >
> >And I'm sure that elsewhere, there are schools that use the FIXED number
> >system, where the tonic is 1, regardless of the scale in question. Thus,
> >if you were to sing a G major scale, you would start with #8 and work
> >your way up from there, since 8 represents the note G in a chromatic
> >scale which starts on C. In other words, G is the 8th degree of the
> >C chromatic scale.
> >
> >Yet another system of solfeggio is to use the letter names them-
> >selves. This sytem is, by definition, a fixed system since you
> >wouldn't have any logical reason to change letter names per the
> >different tonics of pieces. A piece in E-flat would have the
> >"syllable" E-flat as the tonic, and you would sing the other
> >pitches accordingly by name.
> >
> >I have equal facility with both fixed and moveable DO systems,
> >and find the number system less accessible (simply because of
> >the way my brain works). The letter name system is too unwieldy
> >given the multiple syllables that must be used for accidentals.
> >My preference is for fixed DO, because moveable is useful only
> >for tonal music, and is only superficially adaptable to atonal music
> >(i.e.; you assume C to be the tonic, which is what fixed DO is by
> >definition already). With the ever-growing presence of atonal music
> >in the repertoire, it is more logical for me to use the system that
> >reflects this trend -- regardless of whether or not there is a tonic
> >-- rather than switch between the two systems for lack of total
> >facility in the more universal of the two.
> >
> >Neil
> >
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>
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