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Solfège Explained: Movable Do, Fixed Do, and How to Use It to Sight-Sing
Hum the opening of "Joy to the World." The first three notes descend: do — ti — la. You just sang three solfège syllables. Solfège is a system for naming every note with a short, singable syllable so that reading music becomes a matter of hearing syllables rather than decoding letter names. This guide explains the full syllable set, the two versions of the system (movable do and fixed do), who uses each, and how to apply movable do to sight-sing a real melody from the page.
What solfège is and where it comes from
Solfège traces back to the eleventh-century Italian monk Guido of Arezzo, who taught singers intervals by associating each step of a hexachord with the opening syllable of a verse from a Latin hymn to John the Baptist: Ut queant laxis, Resonare fibris, Mira gestorum, Famuli tuorum, Solve polluti, Labii reatum, Sancte Iohannes. The first syllable of each line gave Guido his six names: Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La.
Over the following centuries "Ut" was replaced by the more singable "Do" (from Dominus), a seventh syllable "Si" was added for the leading tone, and English-speaking teachers later changed "Si" to "Ti" to avoid having two syllables start with the same letter. The modern English system is: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.
The seven syllables of the major scale in movable do. Each syllable names a scale degree, not an absolute pitch.
The major scale syllables
The seven syllables name the seven degrees of the major scale:
C major with movable-do syllables and scale degree numbers. The syllable names the degree, not the pitch: in G major, G = do, A = re, B = mi, and so on.
The syllables and their pronunciations:
- do = "dough" (degree 1, tonic)
- re = "ray" (degree 2, supertonic)
- mi = "me" (degree 3, mediant)
- fa = "fah" (degree 4, subdominant)
- sol = "soul" (degree 5, dominant)
- la = "lah" (degree 6, submediant)
- ti = "tee" (degree 7, leading tone)
The scale begins and ends on do. The upper octave is do again — not a new syllable, just the same degree one octave higher.
Each syllable is exactly one beat long when spoken and easy to sustain when sung, which is what makes the system useful for sight-singing. The Scale Degree Names worksheet places both side by side for quick reference.
Movable do versus fixed do
The syllables above are universally agreed. The disagreement in the solfège world is about what "do" means — specifically, whether it names an absolute pitch or a scale function.
The two systems at a glance. Movable do tracks function; fixed do tracks absolute pitch. Both reach the same musical destination from different angles.
Movable do: do = tonic, wherever you are
In movable do, the syllable "do" always means the tonic — the home note of the key you are currently in. If the key is C major, C = do. If the key is G major, G = do. If the key is B♭ major, B♭ = do.
The syllables move with the key: they are attached to scale degrees, not to fixed pitches. This makes movable do a system for describing function. A melody that sits on "ti" is on the leading tone, one half step below home — regardless of what note that is in concert pitch. Hearing "mi" in a melody means you are on the stable third degree of the scale; hearing "fa" means you are on the restless fourth, one half step above "mi," leaning downward.
Movable do is the standard system taught in the United States and United Kingdom, especially in the Kodály method (developed by the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály and widely used in elementary through university music education in English-speaking countries). It is also the system used in Orff-Schulwerk and in most American college ear-training courses.
Fixed do: do = C, always
In fixed do, the syllable "do" always means the pitch C, whatever key you are in. "Re" always means D, "mi" always means E, and so on. The syllables are simply the note names in another language — the same system French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese speakers use as their standard note names (C = do, D = ré, E = mi, F = fa, G = sol, A = la, B = si).
Fixed do is the dominant system in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and most of Latin America. It is also standard in many conservatories worldwide, particularly those with French or Italian teaching traditions. Because the syllables are tied to absolute pitches, fixed do gives a singer or instrumentalist a constant pitch reference and trains absolute pitch association over time.
The tradeoff is that fixed do does not encode scale function. In C major, "mi" (E) is the stable third degree. In E major, "mi" (E) is the tonic — an entirely different function. A singer reading movable do hears the function; a singer reading fixed do reads the pitch.
Who uses which, and why it matters
The choice of system depends on context, country, and teaching philosophy:
- Movable do is better for learning to hear harmonic relationships, sight-singing in any key, and understanding why melodies move the way they do.
- Fixed do is better for building absolute pitch associations, reading in concert pitch from an orchestral part, or if your first language is a fixed-do culture (French, Italian, etc.).
Neither is "correct." Most professional musicians who grew up in a fixed-do tradition learn to hear scale degrees through Roman numerals and interval training rather than solfège. Most musicians trained in the Kodály tradition use movable do for the rest of their careers.
This article focuses on movable do, which is the system used in Tissimo's ear-training materials and in the worksheets below.
Chromatic syllables
The seven syllables cover the major scale. When a melody uses notes outside the scale — accidentals — solfège provides extra syllables for the chromatic pitches.
Standard movable-do chromatic syllables. Raised pitches end in an "ee" sound; lowered pitches end in an "ay" sound (ra) or use the convention shown for each degree.
The standard set used in US/UK pedagogy:
Ascending (raised) chromatic syllables:
- di ("dee") — raised do (♯1)
- ri ("ree") — raised re (♯2)
- fi ("fee") — raised fa (♯4)
- si ("see") — raised sol (♯5)
- li ("lee") — raised la (♯6)
Degree 3 (mi) and degree 7 (ti) are not raised in the standard set, since raising them would produce the same pitch as the degree above (fa and do respectively).
Descending (lowered) chromatic syllables:
- ra ("rah") — lowered re (♭2)
- me ("may") — lowered mi (♭3)
- se ("say") — lowered sol (♭5)
- le ("lay") — lowered la (♭6)
- te ("tay") — lowered ti (♭7)
Degrees 1 (do) and 4 (fa) are not lowered in the standard set, since lowering them would produce ti (♭1 = ♭do = ti an octave below) and mi (♭fa = ♭4 = mi) — degrees already named.
The pattern in the altered names is consistent: raised syllables vowel-shift to "ee" (do→di, re→ri, fa→fi, sol→si, la→li); lowered syllables vowel-shift to "ay" or "ah" (re→ra, mi→me, sol→se, la→le, ti→te).
Chromatic syllables are most useful when sight-singing music with occasional accidentals, or when working in modes. For everyday major-scale sight-singing, the basic seven are all you need.
Solfège in minor: la-based and do-based
The major scale is straightforward — do always sits at the bottom and top. Minor is where the two main solfège traditions diverge again, this time within the movable-do world.
La-based minor (most common in Kodály / US)
In la-based minor, the minor tonic is called la. The natural minor scale runs: la, ti, do, re, mi, fa, sol, la. This aligns the minor scale with the relative major: a melody in A minor uses exactly the same syllables as a melody in C major, just starting from "la" instead of "do." The syllables form the same pool; only the starting point changes.
A natural minor scale with la-based solfège. The syllables are the same set as C major; only the starting degree changes. A = la, B = ti, C = do, D = re, E = mi, F = fa, G = sol.
For the harmonic minor scale (raised 7th), the seventh degree ascends as si instead of sol: la, ti, do, re, mi, fa, si, la.
The Sing Before the Model: Do-Based Minor worksheet covers the minor system in both forms with audio examples.
Do-based minor (less common)
In do-based minor, the minor tonic is called do, and the minor scale syllables are adjusted to match: do, re, me, fa, sol, le, te, do (using the lowered 3rd, 6th, and 7th). This keeps "do" as home in all keys but requires learning the lowered-degree syllables for every minor melody. Many American ear-training textbooks use this system; it is also associated with British tonic sol-fa.
The Scale Degree Names worksheet gives both systems in tabular form.
Curwen hand signs
The Curwen (or Kodály-Curwen) hand signs are a set of seven hand shapes, one per solfège degree, used as a physical reinforcement while singing. John Curwen developed them in England in the 1870s; Kodály incorporated them into his method in the mid-twentieth century.
The seven Curwen-Kodály hand signs. The height of the hand correlates roughly with the pitch: do is low (around waist level), and each sign climbs as the scale ascends. Ti is played with the index finger raised, capturing the leading tone's upward pull.
The signs serve two purposes in teaching:
- Visual reinforcement. Each shape gives the singer a tactile-visual cue anchored to the pitch. Seeing the teacher's hand shape before singing helps beginners commit to a note before it sounds.
- Spatial encoding. The vertical height of the signs maps roughly to pitch: "do" is low (around waist), "ti" is high (above the head), making the melodic contour visible in space.
For a singer working alone, the signs are optional — the syllables carry all the information you need. But in a classroom or choir setting, conducting with hand signs while the ensemble sings is one of the most effective tools for building accurate intonation and scale-degree identity simultaneously.
Scale-degree numbers (1 through 7) are a simpler alternative when hand signs are not practical: "mi to sol" and "3 to 5" carry identical information and are easier to write under a staff.
Tendency tones: ti wants to rise, fa wants to fall
The most useful thing about movable do for sight-singing is that two syllables encode strong melodic pulls. These are called tendency tones.
The two tendency tones in movable do. "Ti" (degree 7) is a half step below do and leans upward: ti→do. "Fa" (degree 4) is a half step above mi and leans downward: fa→mi. Both resolvetoward the stable tones of the tonic triad (do, mi, sol).
- Ti → do. Degree 7 sits a half step below the tonic. When you sing "ti," the next note almost always resolves up to "do." This is the leading-tone resolution, the strongest pull in tonal music.
- Fa → mi. Degree 4 sits a half step above degree 3. When you sing "fa," it typically resolves down to "mi." V7 chords contain both tendency tones at once — ti in the chord leans up to do, fa leans down to mi — which is why the dominant-to-tonic cadence is so conclusive.
Knowing these two syllables as tendency tones gives you a prediction tool: when sight-singing, if you land on "ti," you can hear the resolution before you read the next note. If you see "fa" followed by a stepwise descent, you already know where it goes.
How to use movable do to sight-sing
Movable do sight-singing is a four-step process:
The four steps of movable-do sight-singing. Steps 1 and 2 happen silently in a few seconds; steps 3 and 4 are performed out loud.
Step 1: Find do. Look at the key signature. The key signature tells you the tonic, which is do. In one sharp (G major or E minor), do = G if the melody is major. In two flats (B♭ major or G minor), do = B♭ if major. If you are not sure whether the piece is major or minor, look at the first and last note — it is usually the tonic.
Step 2: Map the syllables. Silently label the first few notes with syllables. You do not need to label every note at once — just the opening phrase. Use steps from do, or count the half steps to identify leaps. If you see C (do) jumping up to G, that is sol (the fifth above). If you see C jumping down to A, that is la (the sixth below, or approaching from above).
Step 3: Clap the rhythm first. Set a slow, steady tempo and clap the rhythm while chanting "ta" or counting aloud. Getting the rhythm locked before adding pitches is faster than trying to fix both at once.
Step 4: Sing by syllable. At the same tempo you clapped, sing the syllables. Keep going even if a note is not perfectly in tune — accuracy improves with repetition, and stopping mid-phrase to fix a note breaks the rhythmic context.
The Movable Do: The First Five Notes worksheet covers degrees 1–5 with recorded audio models. The Sing Before the Model: Movable Do 1 exercise adds the step of singing before you hear the model — a crucial habit for building independence. The Sight-Reading: Set 1 and Set 2 exercises apply solfège to actual short melodies with audio.
A worked sight-singing example
Here is a short eight-bar melody in G major. The key signature has one sharp (F♯), so G = do.
A worked example in G major (one sharp, do = G). The syllables are written below the staff. Sing each syllable on its note; notice how "ti" appears at the cadence of bar 4 and pulls into "do."
Syllable map, bar by bar:
| Bar | Notes (G major) | Syllables | Degrees | |-----|----------------|-----------|---------| | 1 | G A B D | do re mi sol | 1 2 3 5 | | 2 | E D B G | la sol mi do | 6 5 3 1 | | 3 | G A B D | do re mi sol | 1 2 3 5 | | 4 | E D C♯ D | la sol fi sol | 6 5 ♯4 5 | | 5 | B D E D | mi sol la sol | 3 5 6 5 | | 6 | B A G A | mi re do re | 3 2 1 2 | | 7 | B A F♯ G | mi re ti do | 3 2 7 1 | | 8 | G | do | 1 |
Bar 4 uses fi (raised fa, C♯ in G major) — the ♯4 chromatic degree — creating a brief push toward the dominant before bar 5 returns to mi. Bar 7 ends with the leading-tone resolution ti → do, landing home on the downbeat of bar 8.
To practice: (1) Clap the rhythm of all eight bars. (2) Sing only bars 1–2 on syllables until they feel settled. (3) Add bars 3–4. (4) Continue phrase by phrase. (5) Put it together from bar 1 to bar 8.
Solfège and scale-degree numbers
Solfège syllables and scale-degree numbers carry the same information. "Mi" and "3" both mean the same scale position; the choice between them is practical:
- Solfège syllables are easier to sing (one syllable per note, easy vowels) and encode the note in a form immediately singable.
- Scale-degree numbers are easier to write under a staff (a single digit) and easier to compare across theoretical systems (Roman numerals, figured bass, Nashville number system).
Many musicians use both: sing solfège, write numbers. The Scale Degree Names worksheet places both side by side for reference.
Solfège in minor: a quick reference
For sight-singing in minor with la-based movable do, the syllable sets are:
La-based minor syllables for all three minor forms in A minor. Natural minor uses only the standard set. Harmonic minor raises the seventh (sol → si). Melodic minor raises both the sixth (fa → fi) and seventh (sol → si) ascending; it descends as natural minor.
The key practical point: when you see a raised 7th degree in a minor piece (a sharp or natural sign on the note below the tonic), sing si instead of sol. The familiar tendency-tone pull (si → la, the minor equivalent of ti → do) will feel immediately familiar.
For detailed work in minor, the Three Minors: Natural, Harmonic and Melodic worksheet shows all three forms with MuseScore notation and audio, and Minor Melodic Dictation: Hear the Seventh trains the ear on the raised seventh in context.
Putting it together: tips for faster progress
Sing before you read the note. When you first see a note in a melody, stop and hear the syllable in your head before making a sound. Silence before the note, then sing. This habit forces you to commit to a pitch rather than slipping toward what you think you'll sound like.
Use hand signs or finger counting. Pointing to your fingers for each degree (thumb = do, index = re, etc.) anchors the syllable in a motor memory loop that bypasses the analytical side of the brain.
Start stepwise. The easiest melodies are those that move mostly by step (do re mi, re mi fa, etc.). Leaps are harder; the most common leaps — do to mi (a third), do to sol (a fifth), mi to sol (a third) — are worth practicing as specific vocabulary until they are automatic.
Sing, then check. After each phrase, play the same phrase on an instrument and compare. The gap between what you sang and what you played shows you exactly which intervals or degrees need more work.
Use the worksheets in order. The Movable Do: The First Five Notes worksheet builds degrees 1–5 first, then Sing Before the Model: Movable Do 1 adds the commitment step, and Sight-Reading: Sets 1–2 puts it into full melodies. That order reflects the natural learning arc.
Sources
Read this article online: https://tissimo.co/articles/solfege-explained-movable-do-fixed-do-sight-singing
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