Skip to main content
fa

fa

8 9.4
The fourth note of a musical scale, for example F in C major
  • noun
  • /fɑ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fa
  • In solfège, the fourth note is represented by the syllable fa.
  • fa, sol
  • fa and ti
  • tonic sol-fa

In movable doe we use T so doe re MI FA Sol la T doe.

Examples

  • In movable doe we use T so doe re MI FA Sol la T doe.

  • Assign sol-fa syllables based on the pentatonic scale and sing it.

    Academic text (2015)
  • -- It's simple: singing, sol-fa, and hand signs are limited to two pitches.

    Academic text (2005)
  • D flat, FA flat, GB flat, E flat, GB flat, E flat.

  • The use of tonic sol-fa syllables helps singers feel oriented in the chord.

    Academic text (2004)
  • When practicing scales, I often sing fa to identify the subdominant note.

  • In music class, we learned that fa is the fourth note in the diatonic scale.

Compounds

3 9.9

A short series of simple syllables sung as a refrain

Surface Forms

fa singular
fas plural

Etymology

Fa comes from a medieval teaching hymn used by a music teacher named Guido of Arezzo. He used the first syllables of each line, and fa comes from the word famuli meaning 'servants', so fa became the name of the fourth note.