Chromatic solfege

Pete Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject: Chromatic solfege

Does the scale change depending on whether you're going up or down? According to Wikipedia the descending and ascending chromatic scales are different: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solfege

This seems unnecessarily confusing to me. I don't see why there's a need for more than 1 scale.

I guess it could be helpful for enharmonic spellings of things, for instance if you're in C major.... D# could be "ree", and Eb could be "may". It just seems to me that it'd be easier to pick one set of syllables and stick with it.

Nonsense Eliminator · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:34 pm Post subject:

If you notate a chromatic scale properly, you use sharps when ascending and flats when descending (subject to the key signature). I think that's what's reflected in the solfège.
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loudog · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject:

Yep...

You practice it differently going up and down so you practice singing it both ways. If you are actually solfegging a piece of music, you'll use the descending syllables to denote flats, and the ascending syllables to denote sharps.

It's a similar argument as why you need write Fb instead of writing E...depending on what key you are in. They sound the same, but an Fb functions differently than an E...same thing in the chromatic scale...you wouldn't sing a Gb in the key of G major...it would need to be F#...

Make sense?

LE
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Dr. Louie Eckhardt, trumpeter
http://www.LouieEckhardt.com
Associate Professor of Music
Hastings College

Ralph · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject:

There was a time when an Eb and D# were actually slightly different pitches. Same for all the other enharmonics.

loudog · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject:

Yep again...with mean-tone temperament.

Thanks for bringing that up!

LE
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Dr. Louie Eckhardt, trumpeter
http://www.LouieEckhardt.com
Associate Professor of Music
Hastings College

Pete Anderson · Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject:

Yep makes sense, thanks. I had a hunch that that's what the deal was.

mcstock · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:06 am Post subject:

I'm curious -- how many of you were taught fixed vs. moveable do? I originally learned fixed then switched to moveable since that was what was used where I went to grad school. Not trying to start a debate on the merits of each system, just wondering which is more common.

Thanks,
Matt
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â€œIt is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.â€
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Nonsense Eliminator · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 5:23 am Post subject: