You've probably heard someone sing a musical scale with the syllables "do, re, mi, fa, so, la, to, do." These syllables are called solfege; they date back to the middle ages, and are derived from the beginnings of Latin words in the Catholic mass. (Some of you may think of the famous song "Do, a deer" from The Sound of Music, where Maria teaches the notes of the scale in a way that was easy to remember.) However, there is actually quite a bit of confusion about these syllables and how they are applied, or not, to the learning of music.
In Asia (including Russia) and some European countries, they teach a system of learning using a fixed do. The note "do" is always the note C; therefore D is "re," E is "mi," etc. If you want to sing a C Major scale, it is straightforward and simple. However, once you want to sing another scale, one containing sharps or flats, use have to use other terms, such as "si" for the sharp above "so." So you actually have to learn 12 syllables, not 7. In some music schools and conservatories, you'd be required to sing complex melodies, using these solfege syllables. It is thought to be a form of ear training. It is quite difficult to learn to do, and, in my opinion, there are better ways to train the ear. I have had quite a few students over the years who were brought up and attended music schools in Russia, and they have described the torture of learning to sing solfege.
Here in the U.S. we use a movable "do." Whichever scale you sing (or play), the first note is do, the second is re, etc., regardless whether the scale begins on a flat, sharp, or natural. The reason why this approach is so superior is that it makes clear that every scale (let's just say a major scale in this example) has the same relationship of its tones to every other major scale. This is the whole point of the scale, in a way. I can sing Happy Birthday in any key (i.e. based on any scale) and it still sounds like Happy Birthday because all its tones have the same relationship to each other, regardless of key. So, too, with the scale itself. With the fixed do approach, every scale would have a different combination of syllables, and therefore, singing the same song in a different key would also require a complete new set of syllables. It emphasizes the individuality of each tone rather than its relationship to other tones. (I think there's a metaphor for life here, possibly.)
The other problem with the fixed do system is that it tends to emphasize what I call a "white key mentality." (See my post with this title.) Since the system is based on C, the C scale is viewed as the basis and everything else is some sort of exception. Composers have written in every key, with no bias towards the key of C. (They may have a few hundred years ago, but not now.) So we, as musicians, must be able to play with equal ease in any key, with no bias for the key of C. For years I had an adult student who grew up in China and learned the fixed do system. He could only play in the key of C. Trying to play in any other key (even by ear!) so disoriented him, he just couldn't cope.
Another problem with the fixed do system is how chords are taught. (I only recently learned about this from one of my Russian students.) Let's take the example of 7th chords (4-note chords). A D minor 7th chord would be learned as "re-fa-la-do," (D-F-A-C). That's easy because they are all white keys. But if the chord is C diminished 7, you would have to sing do- me (lowered mi)- fi (raised fa) - la. So again, every chord would have a completely different "spelling" than every other chord, even if it's the exact same type of chord. This would mean hundreds of combinations to learn. More important, it just misses the whole point of learning chords. To learn 7th chords (or any type of chord) you need to learn how they are constructed (what intervals). Once you know that, you can build any chord on any note.
Taking this one step further, I think we should abandon the solfege system entirely. It is a relic of a bygone age. When teaching people to sight-sing, for example, I just use the numbers of the scale, 1 through 7. It's so much easier to relate to the numbers 1 and 5 being a fifth away from each other, for example, than some arbitrary syllables such as do and so. For non-scale tones, they can be referred to more as how they are functioning (e.g. raised 4 vs. flat 5), rather than fixed syllables. You can sing with equal skill in any key with this method and does more to train your ear, in my opinion, than the fixed do method.
If you happen to be with a teacher who uses the fixed do system and insists you use it, I would absolutely urge you to find another teacher. If your teacher was taught that way and perpetuates that system, they probably are using many other "300-year-old ideas" as well. You would be wise to find someone who has a more modern -- and sensible -- approach.
No comments:
Post a Comment