The solfege system used in Costa Rica is fixed do. No, Eric, there's no advantage to using it except to be consistent with what's being taught everywhere else in society. Down there, if you listen to classical music on the radio, you'll hear them announce a piece in the "Clave de Sol Mayor" (key of G Major) or "Clave de Do menor" (key of C minor) or whatever. You never hear letter names mentioned. I saw no earthly reason to confuse kids with letter names when the only place they were going to use letter names was in my piano studio.

My European & Latin American students wanted to learn solfege because that was what they were accustomed to, so they were taught with solfege syllables rather than letter names. The American & Canadian students I taught wanted to learn the letter names, so that's what I did with them. FYI, the American & Canadian students learned to read music faster than the European & Latin American students. I believe it might have been because with letter names, I could have them spell words, & because they already knew the first 7 letters of the English alphabet. You can't spell words with solfege syllables, & there aren't many Spanish words you can spell with the first 7 letters of the English alphabet.

If there's any benefit to learning both the letter names & the solfege syllables, it's just to know the letter names & the solfege syllables. Learning solfege hasn't made me a better sightreader, a better singer, or a better anything. It's made me a tad bit smarter, I suppose, in that I now know both the letter names & the solfege syllables. Big whoop! :rolleyes:

[ July 25, 2002: Message edited by: Jalapeņo ]

[ July 25, 2002: Message edited by: Jalapeņo ]

Jala,
I hear ya, but I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here. I'm gonna start a new thread where we can really hammer out clear definitions, purposes, assets and liabilities of Solfege.
Eric

Thanks, Eric. That would be most helpful.

In keeping with Jason's fair and balanced reporting, the following study gives a similarly balanced view of the possible benefits of early music education, including participation of Gordon


A Study on Early Childhood Music Education

[ July 25, 2002: Message edited by: Eric ]

Thanks, Eric, for a good comprehensive overview. I've printed it and will read at my leisure. Also, thanks for the unintentional trip down memory lane. Freiburg, Germany!! The first stop on the train from Strasbourg and right before Heidelburg. I spent many a weekend in Frieberg as a student because people were friendlier and the surroundings were more agreeable than our side of the Rhine. (In case I've lost you, check out the URL)

[ July 26, 2002: Message edited by: Lilla ]

It's not. Both Kodaly and Dalcroze practice use both solfege and letter names. (Solfege first, then letter names later...)

Students who are not taught both letter names & solfege are not properly taught? Is that what you're saying? If so, then I beg to differ with you, because I (& many others like me) managed to learn to play & sing--both by note & by ear--with just the letter names. To say that students need to go to the "right" teacher so they can be taught both solfege & letter names is pure, unadulterated propaganda (most likely spread by zealots looking for ways to make money).

I think I'm in deep cyber doo doo now. :rolleyes:

You are! I NEVER said that a student without solfege and letter were improperly taught.

Maybe I should put it like this:

Kodaly and Dalcroze realized that a system of solmization aided in training the ear and voice.

They also knew that musicians needed to know the note names for practical reasons, so they taught that too.

The approaches are developmental in the early years, and practical in the later years. It's not the only way to do it, but it's a good way, and it works.

I meant with John, not with everyone else. I think that's evident by the :p faces he keeps inserting in his posts.

Jason, I agree with you. I just don't think solfege is something to get dogmatic about. It's one thing to say that something is useful. For example: Using slogans (Every Good Boy Does Fine, etc.) to teach children to read music is useful, but it's not the only way to teach them to read. Same with solfege. It has its place, but many people learn how to sing without learning solfege. If you're ga-ga about using solfege, then just state the reasons why solfege works & leave it at that. You'll win more followers that way. It's quite another thing to get all hot under the collar when people (who learned to sight-sing very well before they even knew what solfege was) start asking questions. Implying that solfege is all-important in children's musical education turns some people off.