Finding the "Doh"

[Eddie Sheehy]

The main advantage for me of Solfeg is that once I memorize a tune in Solfeg it then becomes key independent, and immediately transposes to any key I can play a scale in - the DOH shifts to the root note of the key.

[Bertram Henze]

Even more confusing for someone steeped in Americana music, is the way some Irish tunes shift tonal center back and forth inside the same tune, as a way of fooling the ear and leading to musical interest. If you ever want to frustrate a guitar player new to Irish trad, play the melody line to Kid on the Mountain or Knocknagow and watch them try to back it (or don't, because that would be cruel!).

Another good example is Return to Miltown. Here is a good player - I don't know him, but he clearly takes some extra-liberties with the harmonics that make it extra-clear (or extra-muddy):

[Amanda Gregg]

Oh, here, let me break your brain a little.

Most of this discussion has described "movable do," meaning we assigning the "do" to the 1 of the key/melody/whatever in question. Some (esp. Slavic) cultures use FIXED do (!). The wikipedia page is fascinating.

[bratsche]

They use "fixed do" (a spayed deer? ) in Spain. That's where I learned what I know of solfege. They use those names to designate the notes, rather than alphabet letter names as we do, which they never use. But they have words for sharp (sostenido) and flat (bemol) which they add as necessary, as in "fa sostenido" or "mi bemol", rather than having solfege words for all 12 tones.

FWIW, having somewhat gotten used to that, it's "movable do" that scrambles my brain!

bratsche

[Nevin]

My bass teacher teaches fixed doh. Each system has its advantages. To some degree it is just what you are used to.

[JeffD]

FWIW, having somewhat gotten used to that, it's "movable do" that scrambles my brain!

The next step in brain scrabling is shape notes! So while each note is on a line or space as conventional, the shape of the dot itself designates its place in the scale. So a note may be on the second line, being G, but if we are in the key of C the shape of the note will be the shape assigned to the fifth note of the scale and if we are in G the shape will be that of the first note of the scale.

[JeffD]

Or if you want to sound like a music nerd:

Doh=Tonic
Re=Supertonic
Me=Mediant
Fa=Subdominant
Sol=Dominant
La=Submediant
Ti=Leading Note
Doh=Tonic

[Dale Ludewig]

Jeff, I'm glad you brought up shape note singing. My wife has participated that for many years. She grew up in TN and went to school in Knoxville. There was a large shape note group there, singing "old harp". Whoever led the song set the "doh" and everyone harmonized with that. All aca pella (sp?). Amazing and usually it sounds to me very modal.

[JeffD]

Yea the first step in a shape note sing is to sing the tune in solfege. You don't sing the words until later.

The cool thing here is that shape note notation not only provides the notes of the melody (and full harmony), but it also provides indication of the function of each note within the tune.