Universal solfege

WORK IN PROGRESS

Universal Solfege was invented by Nick Vuci. It builds on Margo Schulter's "Regions of the Interval Spectrum" to create a systematic solfege which can be applied to a variety of microtonal scales.

The principle is that we can divide the interval spectrum into discreet areas which can then be used to take subsets for most microtonal scales we can imagine. It's not an exhaustive solution but a practical and practicible one.

While the chart gives solfege syllables for 74 distinct intervals, the entire gamut is not meant to be used in one instance. Instead it is meant to be used via selection of a subset relevant to a main scale, and solfege are ideally chosen in a heirarchy that prioritizes larger categories over smaller ones. For example, the "Small," "Medium," and "Large" categories aren't necessary unless a scale includes two kinds of an interval and the distinction is necessary.

When using MOS, the solfege can be used in conjunction with "hexachords" to create a "microtonal "hexachordal solfeggio." (Of course, "hexachord" is the common term but here it is insufficient since the set many contain more or less than 6 notes depending on the MOS.)

Finally, to quote Schulter:

A main caution is that the borders are inevitably "fuzzy," so that one region shades into another and suggested values in cents are more illustrative than definitive.

This means that ultimately you should define the intervals as you hear them and as they function to you, not necessarily as they strictly fall on this chart. If a scale contains an interval that is 259 cents, but you hear it as a minor third in context, then give it the solfege syllable of a minor third instead of a semifourth.

A chart below lays things out:

Interval	Class	Subcategory	Cent Range	Solfege	IPA
Unison			0	A	a
Comma			0-30	O	ɒ
Dieses			30-60	Ee	i
Second	Minor		60-125	Sai	saɪ
		Small	60-80	Sais	saɪs
		Medium	80-100	Saim	saɪm
		Large	100-125	Sail	saɪ
	Neutral		125-170	Soo	su
		Small	125-135	Soos	sus
		Medium	135-160	Soom	sum
		Large	160-170	Sool	sul
	Equable Heptatonic		160-182	Ha	ha
	Major		180-240	Say	seɪ
		Small	180-200	Says	seɪs
		Medium	200-220	Saym	seɪm
		Large	220-240	Sayl	seɪl
Semifourth (Interseptimal Maj2-min3)			240-260	Fe	fɛ
Thirds	Minor		260-330	Thai	θaɪ
		Small	260-280	Thais	θaɪs
		Medium	280-300	Thaim	θaɪm
		Large	300-330	Thail	θaɪl
	Neutral		330-372	Thoo	θu
		Small	330-342	Thoos	θus
		Medium	342-360	Thoom	θum
		Large	360-372	Thool	θul
	Major		372-440	Thay	θeɪ
		Small	372-400	Thays	θeɪs
		Medium	400-423	Thaym	θeɪm
		Large	423-440	Thayl	θeɪl
Semisixth (Interseptimal Maj3-4)			440-468	Ke	kɛ
Fourths			468-528	Fo	fɔ
		Small	468-491	Fos	fɔs
		Medium	491-505	Fom	fɔm
		Large	505-528	Fol	fɔl
Superfourths			528-560	Foo	fu
Tritones			560-640	Trai	traɪ
		Small	560-577	Trais	traɪs
		Medium	577-623	Traim	traɪm
		Large	623-640	Trail	traɪl
Subfifths			640-672	Fu	fʌ
Fifths			640-732	Fi	fɪ
		Small	640-695	Fis	fɪs
		Medium	695-709	Fim	fɪm
		Large	709-732	Fil	fɪl
Semitenth (Interseptimal 5-min6)			732-760	Te	tɛ
Sixths	Minor		760-828	Kai	kaɪ
		Small	760-777	Kais	kaɪs
		Medium	777-800	Kaim	kaɪm
		Large	800-828	Kail	kaɪl
	Neutral		828-870	Koo	ku
		Small	828-840	Koos	kus
		Medium	840-858	Koom	kum
		Large	858-870	Kool	kul
	Major		870-940	Kay	keɪ
		Small	870-900	Kays	keɪs
		Medium	900-920	Kaym	keɪm
		Large	920-940	Kayl	keɪl
(Semitwelfth Interseptimal Maj6-min7)			940-960	Twe	twɛ
Sevenths	Minor		960-1025	Vai	vaɪ
		Small	960-987	Vais	vaɪs
		Medium	987-1000	Vaim	vaɪm
		Large	1000-1025	Vail	vaɪl
	Equable heptatonic		1018-1040	Ho	hɒ
	Neutral		1030-1075	Voo	vu
		Small	1030-1043	Voos	vus
		Medium	1043-1065	Voom	vum
		Large	1065-1075	Vool	vul
	Major		1075-1140	Vay	veɪ
		Small	1075-1100	Vays	veɪs
		Medium	1100-1120	Vaym	veɪm
		Large	1120-1140	Vayl	veɪl
Octave less diesis			1140-1170	Dee	di
Octave less comma			1170-1200	Co	kɒ
Octave			1200	A	a

The Unison and the Octave (ie the "tonic") is always denoted with "A." (IPA: a)

For the main intervals which do not have major or minor forms, we give the following syllables:

• "Fo" for fourths
• "Trai" for tritones
• "Fi" for fifths

For the main intervals which have major, neutral, and minor versions we assign evocative and distinct consonant affixes:

• "S-" for seconds
• "Th-" for thirds
• "K-" for sixths
• "V-" for sevenths

To denote major, neutral, and minor versions of these intervals we add the vowels "ay" "oo" and "ai" (IPA "eɪ," "u," and "aɪ") which mimic the distinct vowels of the words "major," "neutral," and "minor."

All of these main categories have small medium and large versions, which we can denote with the consonant affixes "s" "m" and "l"

For the more esoteric categories we do not do not have major, minor, neutral, nor do we have large, medium, or small versions. These are denoted as follows:

• "O" and "Co" for the commatic ranges
• "Ee" and "Dee" for the dieses ranges
• "Foo" for the superfourth range
• "Fu" for the subfifth range
• "Ha" and Hoo" for the higher and lower equable heptatonic ranges  

• The four interseptimal ranges
  • "Fe" for semifourth
  • "Ke" for semisixth
  • "Te" for semitenth
  • "Twe" for semitwelfth

We will now show some examples of how this system can be used in practice.

24edo 3L4s 3|3
Cents	Solfege	Interval name
0	A	Unison
150	Soo	Neutral Second
350	Thoo	Neutral Third
500	Fo	Fourth
700	Fi	Fifth
850	Koo	Neutral Sixth
1050	Voo	Neutral Seventh
1200	A	Octave

13edo 5L3s 5|2
Cents	Solfege	Interval name
0	A	Unison
184.615	Say	Major Second
276.923	Thai	Minor Third
461.538	Nai	Semisixth
646.154	Fu	Subfifth
738.462	Noo	Semitenth
923.077	Kay	Major Sixth
1107.692	Vay	Major Seventh