How to play do re mi fa sol la and ti (on saxophone)?

-Chris

Got this question on Sax Station today. Basically, there are two systems within solfège, a ‘fixed-do’ and a ‘moveable do’. (I’m not sure if that’s the official terminology).

The major scale is

do re mi fa sol la ti do

If you want to play those with C, each syllable lines up with a note

C D E F G A B C

There are twelve major scales, so you can think of any notes as being ‘do’ with a ‘moveable do’.

So, any major scale uses these solfège syllables.

If you use a fixed-do then concert C will be do. That would make it D for tenor/soprano saxophones and A for alto/bari saxophones.

Here’s a link to my class on scales for saxophone.

I think that solfège can be useful. But I also think it’s more useful in more diatonic music (staying in one key). And I would recommend learning the system of notes with letters as well as being able to play in all keys.