A Quick Guide to Movable-Do Solfege

Alex Ness

&c

Syllables for the major scale

do
Shorthand: d

&

####

re
r

mi
m

fa
f

sol
s

w w w
w
w
w
w w
re

mi

fa

sol

la

ti

la
l

ti
t

do
d

####

To preserve interval relationships

and emphasize the strong relationship
between relative major and minor,
the tonic note of a minor key is
always "la":

The tonic note of a major key

is always "do":

do

#w w
#
w
w
w
w w w

do

m
fi
si
l

chromatic alterations

Notice that la-based minor saves us from

having to switch the tonic note in melodies
like the following:
4

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####

la-based minor:
do-based minor:

Key: E major

m
m

l
l

s
s

f
f

C # minor

m
m

t
r

d
me

d
me

t
r

m
m

r
r

l
d

nn nn

t
r

l
d

I use movable-do solfege to emphasize the tonal---i.e.

intervallic, hence implicitly harmonic---content of melodies
instead of the absolute pitches. For the same reason, I use
different syllables for each chromatic alteration.
Movable-do practitioners have a choice: to emphasize the fact
of modulation by switching to a new tonic note, minimizing
chromatic alteration, or to emphasize the relative remoteness
of key areas by keeping the tonic note consistent throughout. I
generally use the latter, but both are good techniques.
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Common chromatic alterations

#w
d

di

#w bw n
r

ri

me

#w
f

fi

#w bw n bw n
s

si

lo

te

w
d