Where the Music Begins!
The Harmony Road method is embraced by Westside Music School and uses solfege singing as a foundation for understanding and ultimately reading musical notes. It is one of the most effective ways to learn to read music and unlocks many mental blocks to music instruction.
Solfege & Letter Names for Notes
Solfege: the Italian syllables (do – re - mi – fa – sol – la – ti).
The physical act of singing and saying the solfege syllables is a right-brain activity or function.
The physical act of singing and saying the letters is a left-brain activity.
The letters B, C, D, E, and G all end in the long E sound and therefore rhyme, making it difficult to distinguish them as different without unnatural or non-musical emphasis. Saying, but especially singing, a sequence of letter names for notes is awkward. Singing a sequence of solfege syllables flows more smoothly.
Young children are learning the alphabet as it relates to their language and are often confused to relate them to the language of music.
The solfege syllables become their musical language.
Refer to the Harvard Dictionary of Music for more information about solfege.
Westside Music School / 1800 NW 167th Place, Suite 110 / Beaverton, Oregon 97006
(503) 533-5100 / info@westsidemusicschool.org
Westside Music School offers piano lessons, keyboard lessons and teaches all levels from children’s music lessons to beginner music lessons to intermediate and advanced music instruction. We follow the Harmony Road Music Course curriculum which provides a holistic approach to music instruction and musical training. Our students come from all over the Portland, Oregon area including Beaverton, Hillsboro, Aloha, Tigard, Forest Grove, Lake Oswego and West Linn.