Solfège is a method of singing melodies by special syllabic names for the notes (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti), as well as a key training discipline in music education. Its aim is to develop the musical ear, a feeling for mode and rhythm, and the ability to “hear with the eyes,” that is, to read notes and imagine their sound in the mind.
The core of the syllable system (ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la) was introduced in the 11th century by the monk Guido of Arezzo, who took them from the beginnings of the lines of a Latin hymn; si (later ti) was added afterwards and ut became do in 17th-century Italy. There are two main approaches: movable do (where “do” is the tonic of any key) and fixed do (where each syllable always corresponds to one absolute note). Solfège lessons are the foundation of any musician's professional training, teaching accurate intonation, the recognition of intervals and chords, and the notation of music by ear.
