In the realm of music, the solfa notation stands as a cornerstone for understanding melodies and harmonies. This is especially true in Nigerian praise and worship music, where the ability to play by ear and improvise is highly valued. Let's delve into how solfa notation is used across various instruments and musical contexts within this vibrant genre.
Understanding Solfa Notation
Tonic solfa is the basis for your chord progression and solo over the chord changes. You need to know or have a very good idea of the tonic solfa of songs that you play.
Learning to play your musical instruments starting from music theory might be a bit boring and stuff but you could spice things off on the side by practicing these tonic solfa of popular praise and worship songs. You could also use these to brag that you can play when your family and friends are around. You should not bore them to sleep with your noisy fingering and speed building practice.
Do you ever dream of playing the solo of a song you are hearing for the first time, It’s pretty easy, all you have to do is to train your mind and ear towards achieving it. How do you do that? By scoring out the solfa notation of almost every song you know.
Applying Solfa to Different Instruments
You need to keep in mind that you can play the same solfa notation on the piano, guitar, saxophone, and trumpet E.t.c. So you don’t need to ask if the solfa notation can be played on a violin.
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Assuming that you are a saxophonist and you are asked to lead the church in praise and worship session. You know very well that you would not be singing but will be blowing gracefully into your saxophone. You would need to have the tonic solfa of these songs in your head to do this.
There are some people who are hearing a song for the first time and while they would definitely be able to play the song on their saxophone the very next moment. This skill comes with a lot of practice and dedication. Although, it is a rare gift for some people to easily pull this off. I strongly believe there are some contributing factors that would lead to this; they might not be able to remember the factors or happenings that would let them pull this off but it will come naturally.
Many people in the western world call the usage of the solfa notation to play “playing by ear”. In African mostly Nigerians are accustomed with playing by ear from child hood. Their praise and worship sessions are usually pre arranged with everyone knowing what to play with arranged scripts that they would have to follow. This is mainly due to the fact that they learnt using solfa notations.
QUICK AND SIMPLE SAXOPHONE LICK TO APPLY ON YOUR AFRICAN PRAISE AND WORSHIP || PART 1
Solfa and Percussion Instruments
Although, you cannot play the solfa notation on percussion instruments like the drum set, talking drum, omelet and konga.
You might want to say that on the talking drum, there are three notes or intonations which are do, reh and mi. This is because the talking drum as its name implies is used to communicate in the Yoruba dialect. The Yoruba dialect has three major tones which is do, reh and mi.
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Therefore the talking drum is programmed to have those three tonalities. However you cannot play these tonalities in different keys just like you can do on the piano and other instruments. This is why the tonic solfa does not apply to the talking drum.
Irrespective of the key of play during praise and worship or gig, the talking drum will rhyme perfectly without distorting the music just like every other percussion instrument.
Solfa Notation and Hymns
Let us assume that you want to play hymns on your piano for an example, many hymns do not have a uniform or linear chord progression like many contemporary songs that you know. Many contemporary songs just comprise of four chords for their chord changes on repeat; Hymns are built differently with complex chord changes.
You might not be able to memorize the long and un-uniform chord changes, but if you know the tonic solfa of the song, which is easier to memorize; then you would be able to apply relatives on resting points of the tonic solfa as their chord changes. This is a very easy technique to accompany hymns when it is being sang in a gathering or in the church. It is like killing two birds with a stone. If you know the tonic solfa of the hymn, then you can lead/solo the hymnal and you can also accompany it.
Personal Experience with Solfa
Being in the choir for quite a long time, singing and memorizing tonic solfas every Thursdays and Saturdays had great impact in my life as a musician. I can tell the tonic solfa of a song in seconds without having a musical instrument nearby. I did not initially know that singing and memorizing these tonic solfas would go a long way to help me when I begin t play the guitar until I started. It boosted my confidence because the lead guitar is more of a lead/solo instrument. I just needed to work on my finger patterns and improve on my speed.
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Examples of Solfa Notations
Here are some examples of solfa notations for popular Nigerian praise and worship songs:
- Immortal God, Invisible God
- Immortal God: d m m d
- Invisible God: d f f f m
- Immortal God: s m m d
- How great thou art: m r t d
- Ogozimagozi
- ogo zimagozi: s s m m f f
- ogo zimagozi: s s r r m m
- ogo zimagozi: s s m m f f
- ogo zimagozi: s s r r m m
- oya chinwe: ogozimagozi s s s m d:::d d
- chinwe: ogozimagozi f r t:::t t t t d d
- Akanakweohioo
- Akanakwe: sai s l s
- Akanakwe: m m d r
- Akanakwe: f f r m
- Ak anakwe kwe kwe m m d r : r : r :
- akana mo bi ni ye basi f f r t t r r d d
- Since I was born
- Since I was born: d m f s
- But now I am getting old: o s d m m l l s m
- I have seen: m m s s
- Seen the Lord changeth: f f s f m m
- Angels have you seen: s s s l s m
- Oh no no no since I was born: m s f l m s r f
- I have never: m m s s
- seen the Lord changeth: f f s f m m
- Father to you oooo
- Father to you oo: s s s d s
- be all the glory: m s f m r r
- to you oo: s l s
- be all the glory: f m r d d
- My Praise Joy Over flow oo
- joy over flow in my life: m r m r d
- sing a new song to Lord: m r m r d r r m
- I will praise your name: m m r r d d t t d
- I will worship you: s m f m r
- Glory Halleujah: f r s f m r r
- Sing a new song to the Lord: s m f m r m f
- We lift your name higher
- We lift your name higher: m m r r d d t t d
- W e lift your name higher: s s m s d d
- We lift your name higher: s s m s f f
- We lift your name higher: f f m r s s
- We lift your name higher: s s d r d d
- Hallelujah na your own ooo
- Halleujah na your own oo: s s l l m m f r
- Baba oo: f m
- Halleujah na your own oo: m m f f d d r t
- Baba oo: d r d
- Baba!!!!! mi loke Baba
- Baba (4x) Baba loke d d s s l l f f r l l s
- B aba s s
- Bab a o Baba o mrd mrd
- Ba ba loke l r d tBaba.
