Mus. Also 6 solle fa, 6–9 sol fa, 7–8 solfa. [From the syllables sol (SOL sb.2) and fa (FA) of the scale: see GAMUT.]
1. The set of syllables ‘do (or ut), re, mi, fa, sol, la, si,’ sung to the respective notes of the major scale; the system of singing notes to these syllables; a musical scale or exercise thus sung. † Occas. in the phr. to sing sol-fa. Tonic sol-fa: see TONIC a.
1549. Hooper, Declar. 10 Commandm., viii. 134. Souche as syng solle, fa, and can do nothyng lesse, then the thing that apertainithe to there offyce.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 213. As froward as the Musition, who being entreated, will scarse sing sol fa, but not desired, straine aboue Ela.
1602. Breton, Wonders Worth Hearing, Wks. (Grosart), II. 7/2. My Hostesse … began with a note about Ela to sing them … a solfa.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 64. A Harmony and a Catena … out of which, as out of an alphabet or sol fa,… a little book-craft … might furnish him unspeakably.
1714. Gay, What d’ye call it, II. iv. I might have learnt Accounts, and sung Sol-fa.
1730. Treat. Harmony, 63. We must give the same solfa to the Notes defining the Leaps.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. II. (1905), 353. We’ll have nobody give us sol fa but He!
1887. Dowden, Life Shelley, II. vii. 309. Claire had her singing-master, and got on prosperously with her sol fa’s.
fig. 1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 93. If thou haddest learned … the first noat of Descant, thou wouldest haue kept thy Sol. Fa. [= complaint] to thy selfe.
2. attrib., as sol-fa man, notation.
1676. Poor Robin’s Intell., 15–22 Aug., 1/1. He contracts with an able Sol-fa-man to teach him … the rudiments of song.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 82. Hymns … in which the music is given in the sol-fa notation.
So † Sol-fa-re. Obs.–1
1600. Dekker, Old Fortunatus, V. ii. K 2. O, there's more musicke in this, then all the Gammoth ares, and Sol fa Res, in the world.
