Reference Materials for the Undergraduate Theory Student
Solfege Syllables and their Use
Robert T. Kelley

# = sharp
b = flat
V64 = Passing 64
IV64 = Auxiliary (Neighbor) 64
I64 = Cadential 64 (V64--53)

The Syllables:

Diatonic Scale Degrees
Scale Degree	1	2		3	4	5		6		7
Syllable	do	re		mi	fa	sol		la		ti
Chromatically Altered Scale Degrees
Scale Degree	#1	b2	#2	b3	#4	b5	#5	b6	#6	b7
Syllable	di	ra	ri	me	fi	se	si	le	li	te

Using the syllables:

• This is a "moveable do" system. The tonic pitch will always be do. Fixed do, where C = do, although it has its own advantages, and is worthwhile to learn, does not encourage functional hearing of scale-degree relationships.
• The natural minor mode will be treated like major only with alterations to scale degrees 3, 6, and 7: do re me fa sol le te
• Many syllable patterns are difficult tongue-twisters; but it is worth learning them and practicing them, as they will assist in aquiring the skill of "associative hearing".
• A simpler system is simply to sing the scale degree numbers ("one", "two", "three", "four", "five", "six", "sev", and sometimes "eight"). In this system, scale degrees 3, 6, and 7, will not change from major when singing in the natural minor mode. Raised and lowered scaled degrees are sung with either the words "sharp" and "flat" or "raise" and "low". This means that the melodic minor scale will have the syllable "raise" instead of both scale degrees 6 and 7.

Solfege syllables for chords:

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