Why Do Re Mi is Wrong

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Solfège, the familiar "do re mi fa so la ti do," is a system for teaching pitch and sight-singing. While many know it from music classes or the famous song in The Sound of Music, its origins are much older and more complex than they might appear.

Solfège actually comes from a Latin hymn written in the 8th century called Ut Queant Laxis. The hymn was used to teach monks how to sight-read music, and each line of the hymn began with a different note. The first syllable of each line gave us the building blocks for solfège: “Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La.” For example, "Ut" came from the first word of the hymn's opening line, "Ut queant laxis."

Originally, the system stopped at six syllables, ending with “La,” and the first syllable was "Ut," not "Do." In the 1600s, Italian music theorist Giovanni Battista Doni suggested changing "Ut" to the more singable "Do." Later, in the 19th century, “Ti” was added to complete the seven-note scale we use today.

The solfège system, designed for teaching music and helping singers remember pitches, has evolved over time but remains a vital tool in music education.