Tonic sol-fa

Tonic sol -fa is the name of a teaching method for singing lessons in schools, which was propagated in 1842 by the Reverend John Curwen. Which is based on the Norwich sol -fa the governess Sarah Glover teaching method uses the onomatopoeia of solmisation special hand signals and a rhythm language.

To publicize the tonic sol -fa system, Curwen founded in 1850, the Tonic Sol - Fa Association ( " tonic sol -fa Society " or "Society of Solfeggisten "). She was until the mid- 20th century in the UK very active association which was devoted to the teaching methods of music education with an emphasis on the a cappella singing.

1841 Reverend John Curwen learned in the Norwich -based solmization the Norwich sol -fa music teacher Sarah Glover know. Loved this system, Curwen worked throughout his life to the improvement and development of this learning system. Familiar early on with the life's work of his father, John Spencer Curwen led after the death of his father continued his work.

1025 Guido of Arezzo developed a syllabic system that could be easily learned with the melodies. (This he wore for his musical practice with boys in addition mentally on the limbs and fingertips of his hand ( Guidonian hand) ). Based on that, Sarah Glover began about 800 years later to develop their own system of solmization. Through the efforts Curwens this learning system prevailed, and in the years to about 1930/35 according to the Tonic -sol -fa system was taught in schools in England.

Tonic sol -fa found many followers, but was thereby exposed to many changes. Agnes Hundoegger took over the main ideas Curwens in their tonic -do teaching, and Zoltán Kodály developed with his Kodály method on the tonic sol -fa system. In Germany, many ideas of tonic sol -fa were reflected in the teachings of Theodore Warner and Kurt Sydow.

Mouthpiece of the Tonic Sol - Fa Association was in 1851 the journal The Tonic Sol - fa Reporter, which Reverend curves also founded. Since 1974, the Curwen Institute endeavors in London with great success to a further development in the form of the New Curwen Method.

Report by Hermann von Helmholtz, 1864

Helmholtz, an ardent supporter of pure intonation, reported in his doctrine of the sensations of tone as a physiological basis for the theory of music via the "Society of Solfeggisten " that already had 1862 150 000 members. This company used the Tonic -sol -fa method, and therefore instead of musical notation, a syllabary ( Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do), where Do is always the tonic designated. If by modulating the tonic changed, also the syllable name changed; the note to the change which took place, received two syllables of the first and the second key. The intonation was always in relation to the tonic. When changing from C major to G major as the A of G major was purely to the tonic G intones, compared to C major so a syntonic comma higher.

Helmholtz heard in a London primary school, 40 children between eight and twelve years old, whose purity of intonation put him in astonishment. He pointed out that the London schools and Solfeggisten give a concert every year from 2000 to 3000 children's voices in the Crystal Palace to Sydenham, which makes by euphony and precision of execution the best impression on the listener.