Solfege - What's the Point?

[EADG mx]

I have my own theories but let's see what others have to say

I have no doubt that it's useful for singing but how does it help one's bass playing?

go

[Smallmouth_Bass]

It's supposed to help for being an all around musician. The actual solfege syllables, if I am not mistaken, are because they all sound different from each other whereas B, C, D, E, and G all sound the same (EE).

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

It's supposed to help for being an all around musician.

How?

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

The actual solfege syllables, if I am not mistaken, are because they all sound different from each other whereas B, C, D, E, and G all sound the same (EE).

Interesting, never thought about it that way. But what about mi and ti? do and so? fa and la?

[bongomania]

Everything you need to know about solfeggio is explained here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

Interesting, never thought about it that way. But what about mi and ti? do and so? fa and la?

I guess the consonants are different enough to make them sound different?

Being able to sight sing should, in theory, help your overall musicianship. I'm not sure that knowing the actual solfege note names will actually help your bass playing, but it is the standard for sight singing.

[Wehmas]

It makes easy to get an overall feeling for the song without ever hearing it. You know these gigs where you just get the sheet and no time to practice? With solfege you can sing the melody and get some clue to what is happening in the melody line.

[OliverH]

What's to stop you from singing the same notes as A, B, C, D etc?

Either way it's nonsense syllables or letters... doesn't really help you memorize any better. Or does it?

[Wehmas]

Originally Posted by OliverH

What's to stop you from singing the same notes as A, B, C, D etc?

Either way it's nonsense syllables or letters... doesn't really help you memorize any better. Or does it?

Yeah, you can sing the notes with the "real" note names.
The idea is just that it is easier to learn to hear the different intervals, because you mainly use the same solfege note names what ever the key.

So for a root - major third, you sing do-mi every time you're in a major key, instead of singing e- g sharp when in E-major, C - E in C-major and so forth.

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Wehmas

Yeah, you can sing the notes with the "real" note names.
The idea is just that it is easier to learn to hear the different intervals, because you mainly use the same solfege note names what ever the key.

So for a root - major third, you sing do-mi every time you're in a major key, instead of singing e- g sharp when in E-major, C - E in C-major and so forth.

You're right but that only applies to movable do (although fixed is basically dead or dying)

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Smallmouth_Bass

Being able to sight sing should, in theory, help your overall musicianship.

Why do you think that, though?

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Everything you need to know about solfeggio is explained here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY

I counter your video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7_hTOYZp38

The note she hits at the end is quite shocking

[vision]

Originally Posted by Wehmas

Yeah, you can sing the notes with the "real" note names.
The idea is just that it is easier to learn to hear the different intervals, because you mainly use the same solfege note names what ever the key.

So for a root - major third, you sing do-mi every time you're in a major key, instead of singing e- g sharp when in E-major, C - E in C-major and so forth.

+1...this is the whole point of solfege (at least why it is taught today.) If you are studying aural theory, you will learn to transcribe music using this. Learning solfege can teach you relative pitch and how to use it for those that don't naturally have this ability. Of course, you could do the same thing by using numbers instead of letters, but that wouldn't account for accidental sharps and flats the way that solfege does.

And yes, this only applies to movable do, but the original poster asked how solfege can help one's bass playing. Fixed do would be useless for a bass player - the only people I know of that still use fixed do are singers that use it for sight reading. (Alot of that music is atonal or without a key so movable do would just confuse them.)

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by EADG mx

I have my own theories but let's see what others have to say

I have no doubt that it's useful for singing but how does it help one's bass playing?

go

At some point you make the connection between singing and playing. If you can sing it you can play it. Some use the number system others solfege and their is fixed solfege (do is always note C) that is used by a few. I started on numbers thought they were easier, but then when you get into minor and altered notes numbers made less sense to me. I tend to use solfege now since it has syllables for altered notes. Now since I know both I flip back and forth depending on the situation.

I use solfege to figure out transcribe when away from my bass like driving my car. Sometimes just get an idea for a bass line sitting in a Starbucks and can use solfege to figure it out. Can write music without an instrument. Work on a sightreading passage singing to myself using solfege. Hear about a cool scale and sing it in solfege to hear it.

If you can use your voice/brain combo via solfege or numbers you can work on music anywhere, anytime, even without an instrument. This is what good "Ear" players are doing, just they are reinventing the wheel coming up with their own way to label notes.

[Frederickbass]

I'm currently pursuing my studies in college in the jazz department. Im having a hard time with solfege and need to practice at home around 2 hours per day. Solfege can help you on an everyday basis. There's melodic solfege but also rhytmn solfege. So when youre reading music sheets on the spot while playing with complicated rythmn well you know already how that it will sound. I didnt see the point of solfege at first but now really it improved everything.

[Way Off Bass]

a note by any other name will sound just as sweet

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by OliverH

What's to stop you from singing the same notes as A, B, C, D etc?

Either way it's nonsense syllables or letters... doesn't really help you memorize any better. Or does it?

I would love for you to enunciate "le sol le sol" in the key of Db. Solfege syllables work because they all are one syllable, no matter what note name they have and no matter what key you're in.

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Originally Posted by DocBop

At some point you make the connection between singing and playing. If you can sing it you can play it. Can write music without an instrument.

If you can use your voice/brain combo via solfege or numbers you can work on music anywhere, anytime, even without an instrument. This is what good "Ear" players are doing, just they are reinventing the wheel coming up with their own way to label notes.

That's it. Sometimes you have to think about the big picture. As you get better at these types of things you will start to see the benefits trickle down to your playing.

Remember that when you are learning these types of skills it is not only to help you play on your specific instrument, but to help you be a better musician. Sight singing and transcribing is a really useful skill to have as a musician.

[JTE]

Because it teaches you to recognize the interval, not just the note. Say "C" doesn't tell a lot. But if you call it 'do" that's a lot different from when the same note is "fa". It puts the note into context.

jte

[JohnnyPustular]

Back in the day, solfege class was called 'ear training' (it might still be called that). The intent was to get some of us pitch-challenged folks a better sense of relative pitch. On the first day of the required Ear Training I course I was enrolled in, some smartass announced he didn't need the class because he had perfect pitch. The prof proceeded to test him and, sure enough, he could name any note the prof played including being able to spell chord tones. The prof told him he was released from the requirement.

[OliverH]

Originally Posted by HaVIC5

I would love for you to enunciate "le sol le sol" in the key of Db. Solfege syllables work because they all are one syllable, no matter what note name they have and no matter what key you're in.

"le sol le sol" implies going between the major 7th and major 6th of Db major? If I wanted to know how it sounded like I'd just sing the notes as "La la la la" or "dah dah dah dah" - pick any random sound. I'd find it more useful to actually sing the real note names.

But then I would also find singing "7 6 7 6" equally useless because it teaches you nothing about the actual notes you are playing. Maybe this is because I remember things best not by numbers or letters but by shapes and note patterns. So to extend this idea, I'm guessing Solfege was invented by someone who either had trouble learning in this way or had to teach people who had trouble learning what was the standard at the time.