Solfège

In music, solfège (US /sɒlˈfɛʒ/, UK /ˈsɒlfɛʒ/,French: [sɔl.fɛʒ]) or solfeggio (/sɒlˈfɛdʒɪoʊ/, Italian: [solˈfeddʒo]), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, solfejo, among many names, is a music education method used to teach pitch and sight singing. Solfège is taught at every level of music education in some countries, from primary through graduate level university study.

Many music education methods use solfège to teach pitch and sight-reading, most notably the Kodály Method.

The study of solfège enables the musician to audiate, or mentally hear, the pitches of a piece of music which he or she is seeing for the first time and then to sing them aloud. Solfège study also improves recognition of musical intervals (perfect fifths, minor sixths, etc.), and strengthens the understanding of music theory. Solfège is a form of solmization, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

The technique of solfège involves assigning the notes of a scale a particular syllable, and then practicing by singing different note sequences using these syllables. The sequences gradually get more difficult in terms of intervals and rhythms used.