This triad of three notes makes up the I chord, or the home chord of the key signature. The notes Do, Mi, and So form an important pattern in a scale. Pointing the thumb down reminds you that you’re not going quite as far up in pitch as you did to get from Do to Re and from Re to Mi. This note is represented by a “thumbs down” sign. Next we come to the note Fa, which is only a half step up from Mi. So far, each note of the scale has been a whole step up from the previous note. Imagine that Re is moving up, and then Mi settles into a stable position in the same chord as Do. Feel the upward movement of the note Re as you sing and make this hand sign.Īfter Re comes Mi, which is represented by moving the flattened hand so that the palm points straight to the floor. To make the hand sign for Re, simply uncurl your fingers from Do and angle them up. Do is a power note, so it makes sense to represent it with a strong fist shape. This note is the foundation of the scale, the firm rock that the scale is built on. The hand sign for the first tone of the scale, Do, is a closed fist. Sign up for a free account now and receive over 300 video lessons (and counting!) accessible on any smart device.Ĭurwen’s solfège hand signs are easy to remember if you understand a little bit about the role that each note of the scale plays in music. The modern solfège syllables and hand signs that music teachers use today are based very closely on Curwen’s work. Curwen also used a “moveable Do” system, which means that the syllable “Do” always represents the tonic, or the first tone of the scale, no matter what key the song is being sung in. He wanted to develop a better way to teach singing and sight reading, so he simplified the existing solfège system and created hand signs to make it easier to remember the relationships between the tones of the scale. They were invented by Reverend John Curwen, who lived in England in the mid 1800’s. Solfège syllables have been around for about a thousand years, but the solfège hand signs are relatively new. Guido’s system became so popular that it spread throughout the world, taking on a few different forms until it became the familiar Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do that we use today. Guido decided to try naming each note of the scale so that the monks in his choir could learn new songs by memorizing the names of the notes. The only way to learn a new song was to hear someone else sing it, over and over, until it was memorized. Back then, there was no standard system for reading and writing music. Solfège was invented about a thousand years ago by a Catholic monk named Guido who lived in Italy. They can sing the actual words of the song and still use the hand signs to help them find the right notes. It’s almost like turning their voice into an instrument that can be played at the right pitch simply by making a sign with their hand.Īnother great advantage of using hand signs when sight reading is that a singer doesn’t have to be singing the solfège syllables. Once a singer has learned the solfège syllables and hand signs, they can sight read more easily. When a singer uses the solfège syllables together with the hand signs, it helps to reinforce the notes of the scale in the singer’s mind. What are solfège hand signs?Įach syllable in solfège has a hand sign. If you want to learn more about using solfège, check out Hoffman Academy Lesson 13, Chocolate. If you want to keep up to date on the latest video lessons and tutorials from Hoffman Academy, create a free account to join our mailing list. The distance between them is also a good example of the size of the interval they represent. For one, they provide a visual aid during singing exercises. The hand signs may seem funny, but there’s a real purpose to them. You’ll also get some helpful hints to remember which hand signs accompany each syllable. In this week’s video, Hoffman Academy teacher Stephanie will take you through the major scale in solfège, introducing you to the hand signs. Don’t know what solfège is? Take a quick minute to check out this Introduction to Solfège or our more in-depth discussion on why we teach solfège to all Hoffman Academy students. Solfège hand signs are real, and they’re super useful. Create a free teacher account at utheory.Did you know that there are solfège hand signs? It’s true! Through video lessons, individualized practice, and proficiency testing, uTheory has helped thousands of students around the world learn the fundamentals of music theory, rhythm and ear training. UTheory is a mastery-based online learning platform for music theory. Other resources you might like from our store:įollow us to find out about new resources and freebies, or check us out on social media! Use as a quick reference for students anytime or following the uTheory Major Scale Solfege lesson. Kodaly/Curwen chromatic solfege hand signs, in teacher and self perspective.
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