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Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?

24 Oct 06 - 11:29 AM (#1867303)
Subject: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Cod Fiddler

I need some help! I want to play with an Italian pianist who interprets the stave as do re mi fa so la ti do. Consequently, I can't write the chords above a tune as G, D, Am, D7 as they are meaningless in Italian. Can anyone tell me how to convert chords into tonic sol fa? Any help greatly appreciated.

Richard.


24 Oct 06 - 11:46 AM (#1867313)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Scrump

AFAIK do, re, mi, etc., are used to represent the notes of the major scale but independent of key, so for example, in the key of C:

do=C, re=D, mi=E, fa=F, etc.

And in G: do=G, re=A, mi=B, fa=C, etc. (...ti would be F#)

So there isn't a direct translation between tonic sol fa notation and keys. Unless someone else know different?


24 Oct 06 - 11:53 AM (#1867319)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: MMario

I've been checking the web and can't find anything about chord representation in tonic sol-fa.


24 Oct 06 - 12:38 PM (#1867351)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Murray MacLeod

I think automatically in terms of tonic solfa, I can sing the tonic solfa notes of any tune straight off the top of my head, but I am amazed that any pianist uses this system. Is this the rule or the exception in Italy ?

It all depends whether he thinks in terms of relative notes which is what tonic solfa is all about, or whether he actually identifies each note on the stave with a corresponding tonic solfa note, so that for example doh=C, de =C#, ray=D, e=D#,mi=E,fah=F,fe=F#, soh=G,se=G#,lah=A, and ta=B flat.

Then you would just write the appropriate chord above the line, except you would use the solfa nomenclature.


24 Oct 06 - 12:39 PM (#1867353)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Murray MacLeod

missed out ti=B


24 Oct 06 - 02:21 PM (#1867440)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: greg stephens

Italians. like French people, use the do re mi names for CDE etc. I am not sure of the precise Italian terms for major and minor, but the chords are named according to sol fa. So, for example, G7= Sol7. C = doh. B flat = Si flat. F#=Fa#You'll need to find out how to write major and minor, but this should give you the general idea.


24 Oct 06 - 02:31 PM (#1867447)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Cod Fiddler

I have an answer now.

I have now talked to the pianist in question, who is a full on diploma-waving concert pianist. Scrump is correct, however the system he discribes is known as Doh Mobile, and is now taught to Italian children. For my pianist, Doh is always C, C# is "Doh diesis" and Bb is "Si Bemolle" etc.

Just to add to the mayhem, the Italians say "doh re mi fa so la SI do". No tea with jam and bread for them! All I can say is God help them!

Richard.


24 Oct 06 - 06:17 PM (#1867646)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin

You are NOT asking for conversion to tonic solfa - that replaces the entire system of staff notation with an alphabetic one using a special font. It's still heavily used by Gaelic singers but nit much by anybody else.

If all you want to do is replace chord names, use an ABC system with a flexible text editor that can do search and replace (BarFly for the Mac can do that). Lilypond could probably do it too.


25 Oct 06 - 04:38 AM (#1867954)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Donald

Richard
Nice to see you again - how the devil are you? We enjoyed a great night up at Kirkymoorside with Ged&Steve last month at the Moor festival - but missed your playing!

But to the point - here is some more feedback from the mustard board:

http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/11593

Cheers
Donald


25 Oct 06 - 04:59 AM (#1867962)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Scrump

Just to add to the mayhem, the Italians say "doh re mi fa so la SI do". No tea with jam and bread for them! All I can say is God help them!

How about: "Si - a thing landlubbers dread"?

But I'm sure you can do better! Let's hear your alternative lines (sorry it's not on topic, OP!)


25 Oct 06 - 07:27 AM (#1868046)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

Just a note (!)

It may not be relevant to the original question, but my program HARMONY can automatically display the tonic solfa note names below the notes on the staff (i.e. as an alternative to lyrics).

Download a fully functional but time-limited copy from My site, www.greenhedges.com


25 Oct 06 - 07:38 AM (#1868053)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Cod Fiddler

No Jack Campin, She can sight read normal stave notation like a dream. What she doesn't understand is the guitar notation above a melody, which will give her the basis for accompaniment. I'm afraid I can't understand ABC notation, but I think we're sorted now.

Hello Donald! I'm fine thank you. I have completed my thesis and I'm within a gnat's whisker of submitting it. I'm sorry I missed the festival on the moor. I really miss Beverley and its pubs and I haven't really discovered the folk scene in Northants yet - a consequence of getting a television and being so happy to be with my true love that I haven't felt the need to trawl the local pubs seeking music. We are going to hear Last Night's Fun in November though! Thanks for asking at The Session. I hope you're well and that we meet for a tune soon.

Scrump, I can't beat "Si - a thing landlubbers dread". I'll give it some thought...


25 Oct 06 - 08:25 AM (#1868089)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Cod Fiddler

Nice Software Pavane! Unfortunately, your software uses the modern Doh Mobile system, which Italian children now understand. Sadly, for my pianist, C is always Doh, which confuses things if your playing in any key other than C!


25 Oct 06 - 12:04 PM (#1868358)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

I am not sure whether I have put that in as an option somewhere - but if not, I could easily add it if you wanted.

(Actually, this can be viewed as a classic case of absolute versus relative addressing. DOH, or UT, was originally a fixed note, but later came to represent the tonic of whichever key you are using)


25 Oct 06 - 03:20 PM (#1868525)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Bert

I, IV, V7.


26 Oct 06 - 08:17 AM (#1869017)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

Not if you in a non-Major mode


15 Dec 06 - 12:30 PM (#1910340)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,AlunWern

To make things even more complicated I wish to convert sol fa to notation so that i can use them as midis


15 Dec 06 - 01:59 PM (#1910402)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Cruiser

What an excellent solfege discussion that is emblematic of what this great website forum has to offer!

I do a daily solfege voice practice where I go up and down the musical scale using all the sharps and flats in all keys, backward and forwards. It is a great way to warm up before singing.

I yodel, but have so far have been unable to yodel in solfege!

I will check out your program pavane. It seems that you are willing to modify it for specific uses and users, correct?

Thanks for a musicological discussion on a neat subject.

Cruiser

_____________________________________________________________________


15 Dec 06 - 10:05 PM (#1910687)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Joe_F

Si for ti? Shocking. In my book, the chromatic scale is do di re ri mi fa fi sol si la li ti do. (Convenient that the semitones in the major scale follow notes whose names already end in i.)


16 Dec 06 - 07:26 AM (#1910904)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Helpful Guest

Joe, you appear to have missed out a "ta" between "ti" and "do"


16 Dec 06 - 07:28 AM (#1910907)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Helpful Guest

Oops, should have read more carefully.

What you are calling "li" I would call "ta"

You're sharping, I'm flatting.

Chacun a son gout ...


09 Mar 09 - 07:05 AM (#2584514)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

Good people
I have seen all your omments and I pretty much sure that you all know what you're talking about.
Can any one tell me where to find a book that teaches tonic solfa?
I would like to convert some stuff from solfego to tonic solfa, all I need is basic concepts,definnitions on tonic solfa, if I could find a book.

Thank you


09 Mar 09 - 09:20 AM (#2584592)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Jack Campin

John Curwen, _Standard Course in the Tonic Sol-Fa Method_.

Umpteen editions from 1858 onwards, I have the 1901 7th edition. It's probably been scanned for the web by now.


09 Mar 09 - 12:06 PM (#2584720)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Malcolm Douglas

Yes, it has. See  Tonic Sol-Fa at the Internet Archive. The link will retrieve facsimiles of several introductions to the system, including Curwen in both English and Welsh.


02 Sep 10 - 01:47 PM (#2978613)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,kemi

I need an easy way tom tranlate songs to toni sol fa


03 Sep 10 - 03:40 AM (#2979074)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

See my previous post above:

"my program HARMONY can automatically display the tonic solfa note names below the notes on the staff (i.e. as an alternative to lyrics)."

Download a fully functional but time-limited copy from my site


03 Sep 10 - 03:43 AM (#2979075)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

It can also import tunes and songs from a number of formats, including abc and MIDI.

(I don't think anyone has yet cracked the problem of importing actual sound recordings like CD, WAV or MP3 into notation)


03 Sep 10 - 04:15 AM (#2979086)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Darowyn

(I don't think anyone has yet cracked the problem of importing actual sound recordings like CD, WAV or MP3 into notation)
I find that Melodyne, a pitch and timing correction programme does a good job at generating score from audio.
My version is just for a single line, but the latest version can analyse and score chords too.
Cheers
Dave


03 Sep 10 - 05:44 AM (#2979117)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

I have tried several programs which claimed to do this, but found nothing yet usable in the real world, even the ones for a single line.

Will look at Melodyne, but does it produce anything other than a score? It isn't really practicable to feed a score into a program. Needs to create it in a format such as abc, MIDI, etc.

I do remember trying a program which would scan a score with OCR and create a MIDI, but made too many scanning errors to be useful. (Amazing how much it DID recognise and convert, though)


27 Oct 10 - 10:09 AM (#3016748)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Nooky Cook

I have found a teacher's handbook and have been learning tonic sol-fah from it. Its on scribd.com and is called "hymn accompaniment - tonic sol-fa system"

And I have a virtual piano open too to check doh-ti is in tune!

:) Jt


28 Oct 10 - 04:28 AM (#3017513)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,malagasy

Hi Pavane,
I've tried your soft. Excellent work.
But we can't :
- change the tonic solfa type of notation (d, di, r, ri, m, f, fi, sol, si, l, ta, t, d') instead of your actual notation (DOH, DEW, ....). Is it possible to chnage that?
- if the key change from C to G for example, how to affect the "new C" or the "new Do" to the G note? Normally, it's the rule in Tonic sol-fa, when the key is changing, the have a new Do according to the new key of the song.

Thanks.


28 Oct 10 - 04:57 AM (#3017529)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

I will have a look to see how much work it would be - probably not very much.

The program does not reset the Doh for key changes within tune, if that is what you mean. I can see that perhaps it should - I can look at this too. But not for a few days, as I have urgent things to do (Like VAT return and annual accounts) which have approaching deadlines.


28 Oct 10 - 09:32 AM (#3017662)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

If you haven't heard back from me in a couple of weeks, please remind me.


28 Oct 10 - 09:52 AM (#3017675)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,malagasy

Thank you for your interest Pavane,
Keep up the good work. I will note in my agenda and will remind you.


29 Oct 10 - 09:01 AM (#3018438)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: mikesamwild

My Dad taught me 'Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do' going up and 'I lost my knickers in the snow' going down!


It proved invaluable in learning songs and tunes in any key once I worked out minors and modes.


Would a three chord trick be e.g. Doh I, IV,V


What do 'European' folkies and rockers call chords we call C, F, G7 etc? ( apart from 'seemples' just to preempt the wisecrackers)


01 Nov 10 - 05:51 PM (#3021114)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Dee

to think this conversation began 2006. I sing in solfa and can't read staff notes, so i'm looking for ways to transcribe notes to solfa. When i sight sing its a guessing game and i don't actually learn the song unlike when i learn my doh-ti-dohs and lah-tah-lahs...


16 Nov 10 - 10:44 AM (#3033536)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,malagasy

Hi Pavane,
I'm here to remind you. Have you finally find the way how to make my suggestion in your application?

Thanks.


17 Nov 10 - 08:28 AM (#3034271)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

Thanks for the reminder. Haven't been able to do anything yet, as I thought I had a virus on the laptop - turns out it was on the router, not the laptop - see my Google thread.


17 Nov 10 - 12:26 PM (#3034441)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: pavane

Your question
- change the tonic solfa type of notation (d, di, r, ri, m, f, fi, sol, si, l, ta, t, d') instead of your actual notation (DOH, DEW, ....). Is it possible to change that?

It looks to me as if Doh Raw Ray Maw Me should be used for FLAT keys, i.e. keys with a flat in the signature, and Doh Di Ray Ri should used for SHARP keys (and C).

That it what the program is supposed to do, but it doesn't seem to be working correctly.


25 Aug 11 - 11:33 AM (#3212531)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Nice thread

really how do u pronounce doh desis dats Csharp and B flat using the fixed doh...cos I happened to learn to read music the solfege type as is in the "The Sound of Music".


21 Dec 11 - 08:14 AM (#3277655)
Subject: I need help on midi hexadecimal values
From: GUEST,Olu

below is twinkle little star tonic sol fa= d:d:s:s:l:l:s:f:f:m:m:r:r:d in midi hexadecimal. I need to discern the note numbers from 4D 54 68 64 00 00 00 06 00 00 00 01 00 80 4D 54
72 6B 00 00 00 8C 00 FF 58 04 04 02 30 08 00 FF
48 02 00 00 00 90 3C 28 81 00 90 3C 00 00 90 3C
1E 81 00 90 3C 00 00 90 43 2D 81 00 90 43 00 00
90 43 32 81 00 90 43 00 00 90 45 2D 81 00 90 45
00 00 90 45 23 81 00 90 45 00 00 90 43 23 82 00
90 43 00 00 90 41 32 81 00 90 41 00 00 90 41 2D
81 00 90 41 00 00 90 40 32 40 90 40 00 40 90 40
28 40 90 40 00 40 90 3E 2D 40 90 3E 00 40 90 3E
32 40 90 3E 00 40 90 3C 1E 82 00 90 3C 00 00 FF
2F 00         ... Can anyone help me out?


17 Jun 12 - 11:24 AM (#3364553)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

westerville college for boys and girls seat of wisdom and knowledge


12 Apr 14 - 03:09 PM (#3617971)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,dydx

I learnt playing guitar and keyboard with tunny solfar.... how do I study note reading....


12 Apr 14 - 11:01 PM (#3618095)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,leeneia

This thread used to baffle me, but two weeks ago I bought an old book of songs for the concertina. It has 250 songs in it, and 245 of them are in the key of C.

If you throw out the 5 songs in the key of G, then you can say that "do = C, and re = Dm, mi = Em," etc. It works if everything in your repertoire is in C.

I don't know what anybody's supposed to do if they want to play (for example) in the key of A or F.


13 Apr 14 - 03:08 AM (#3618118)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

The reason the Continent has so few folkies is our tunes are modal, and that can be described in modal solfege, where the solfege note is relative to the key. We can say the third above the tonic, in solfege Mi, but the Continentals understand Mi as always being E in the CMaj scale. They cannot then get their heads around Mi being the same interval in another key, want to say, oh, but that's Re mol, and then have nothing left to handle modal scales.

I don't know who started it, but they deserve to be incribed in the Devil's Little Black Book.


13 Apr 14 - 05:04 AM (#3618144)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Jack Campin

That's nonsense. Sol-fa can represent any chromatic note. It's easier to represent a variety of keys with the movable-do system but fixed-do will work too. Modality doesn't come into it (and there is essentially no difference between national practices in modality across the traditions of Western Europe anyway).


14 Apr 14 - 03:50 AM (#3618491)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

But the simple reality is they don't teach moveable-do because it's too mind-twisting, Jack. As it is in the Belgian school system, they insist on a year's fixed-do theory before even touching an instrument: I think it's a way of thinning out the field as there's not enough instruments to go around. When you start talking modes to experienced Belgian folkies, a glazed look of horror passes over their faces when they realise they have to raise anchor and work in relative intervals. Sure, they've heard of modes, but don't dare set foot there lest their theory becomes self-consuming.


16 Apr 14 - 03:58 PM (#3619513)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

In the 50s Edinburgh we were taught the tonic so fa aged 6. My memory is that a sharp on a line equates to a t in any key and a flat equates to a fa.Working up from the t you look at the placement of do' and then apply normal egbdf or face to tell you which key the piece is in.
I never progressed to proper sight reading and the tonic so fa is very useful if you sing as it gives the intervals between the notes. It is very simple to transpose any song into a suitable key.


17 Apr 14 - 01:01 PM (#3619776)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Stringsinger

The most reasonable international approach would be to label chords with Roman numerals with the type of chord as an (exponent) with arabic numbers.

For example, Roman numeral "I" with a maj7 would be I maj7.
In the key of C, "I" would be C, G7 would be V7, Eb would be bIII. C# would be #II.

Most musicians internationally use this type of nomenclature bypassing the need
for a fixed or movable "do" to express chords.


18 Apr 14 - 08:01 AM (#3619980)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST

Lydian, Oh Lydian,
Has anyone heard Lydian?
Lydian the Modal Lady...


18 Apr 14 - 10:45 AM (#3620032)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Stringsinger

The so-called "church modes" contain plenty of mixed-up Lydians.


23 Oct 14 - 10:12 AM (#3671525)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Seamus Og

Just to turn this subject on its head, has anyone designed software to change tonic sol fa into stave? I have over 180 Gaelic songs in tonic sol fa,and although I realise I could do this by hand, it would be nice to think there was a modern labour-saving device that would respond to keys on the keyboard.


23 Oct 14 - 08:28 PM (#3671706)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Ripov sans

"But the simple reality is they don't teach moveable-do because it's too mind-twisting"
Anyone with an ear does this (without the notation) all the time. I think its something to do with pythagorean Commers. or maybe Dodges.
But you can't do it on a fixed tuned (keyboard) or fretted (where at least it's very difficult) instrument, although singers and fiddlers do it all the time.
Doing it in practice isn't hard (for some), but the theory I agree is impossible. and the only instruction I've ever had regarding it is "make that leading note (that is Te (or Si)) a bit sharper".


18 Sep 16 - 09:26 AM (#3810336)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,Festus

i just found a service online that naturally transcribe your sheet music into tonic solfa and decided to share it on the forum. It is helping me now. here the link goo.gl/NPTi6N


18 Sep 16 - 12:49 PM (#3810352)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Stanron

I know this is a ten year old thread but I was wondering if 'pavane' was still around this forum.

I downloaded the Harmony zips and tried installing it on my Linux Mint system under Wine. I got one error message

An error occurred while registering the file 'C:\windows\system32\MIDIIO32.OCX'

Is there a fix for this? The folder path exists.

I also tried it on another computer running Zorin but with the same result. Any ideas anyone?


18 Sep 16 - 09:03 PM (#3810383)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: Jack Campin

Festus's link is to somebody offering to do it as a paid service (and not cheap) with no samples of their work being made available. If it isn't actually spam it's pretty close to it.


06 Mar 17 - 11:08 PM (#3843333)
Subject: RE: Tech: Conversion to Tonic Sol Fa?
From: GUEST,lai

i want to know how i can convert music sheets that are in staff notaion to tonic sol fa .

thanks