Why were Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti chosen to represent the notes of a musical scale?

TabbyTom

There are a number of websites that give the origins of the "solmization" syllables, for example http://www.italcultusa.org/factoids.html Sep 10 03, 3:10 PM

Senior Moments

Because Ying Tong Yiddle I Po was not acceptable Sep 10 03, 4:14 PM

Gnomon

Originally the syllables were ut re mi fa sol la. These were the first syllables each line of a particular hymn. The lines started on the right notes so you could use the tune to remember the notes. A bit like doh a dear. Later it was decided to use do rather than ut, because it sounded better, and to add a seventh name, si which later became ti to complete the scale. Sep 10 03, 5:41 PM

mibmob

UT queant laxis REsonare fibris MIra gestorum FAmuli tuorum, SOLve polluti LAbii reatum, Sancte Ioannes. Sep 11 03, 2:21 AM

RickF

Sarah Ann Glover, who ran a school for young gentlewomen around the turn of the 19th century in Norwich, developed the Tonic Solfa (Do-re-mi....) method of teaching singing. Sep 11 03, 3:00 AM

Arpeggionist

I have seen the musical setting of the poem "Ut queant laxis..." from an old compilation of Gregorian church melodies. In time the "Ut" still used by the French as the name for the note C was changed to "Do", from "Domini ut queant laxis". Centuries later still, SI was changed by some to "Ti" by some teachers and singers, since some of them felt uncomfortable with the Christian roots of the solfegio system. By the time the notes were set to song in "The Sound of Music", few would notice or care that in Austria at the time the play was set people still taught notes by letter (with H as B-natural and B as B-flat). Apr 22 10, 7:35 AM