The Chord Spelling Song

Listen to The Chord Spelling Song on Bandcamp

Do Mi So 
Fa La Do 
So Ti Re Ti So Do Do Do 
Do Mi So 
Fa La Do 
So Ti Re Ti So Do 
La ... La Do Mi 
Re ... Re Fa La 
La ... La Do Mi 
Mi Si Ti 
So Ti Re 

Do Mi So 
Fa La Do 
So Ti Re Ti So Do Do Do 
Do Mi So 
Fa La Do 
So Ti Re Ti So Do 
Do ... Do Mi So 
Mi ... Mi So Ti 
La ... La Do Mi 
Re ... Re Fi La 

So Do 
So So Re Ti 
So So Do 
So So Fa Re Ti 
So So Do 
So So Fa Re Ti Si Mi 
La Do Mi 
Do Mi So Te 
Fa La Do 
So Ti Re Ti So 
Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do Ti Do!

This song was written as a singalong to introduce the chords of the major scale, and their functional solfege spellings. I put the chords and solfege up on the blackboard, but ultimately had students sing it just looking at the harmonic analysis.

It has value in furthering associations with functional solfege, understanding the building blocks of harmony, and as an etude that encourages students to recognize and chunk harmonic information encoded into melodies. In a first year class, I’d have them sing it regularly as a warmup.

It focuses on simple triads in a major scale, but also hits on a few more advanced harmonies. Students don’t need to understand them fully to benefit from that previous association when you introduce them later in the curriculum.