Standard (Western) vs Solmisasi Music Notation

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People say: "A picture is worth a thousand words". Let's bring up some pictures here to better show the differences (and implicitly, the equivalencies) between both music notations.
Just take a seat, and relax! {: .fs-6 }

Let's take a reference from what Wikipedia says: Vocal range. Please take a note that the ranges given below are approximations and are not meant to be too rigidly applied.
{: .fs-5 } There will be two (2)solmisasi_sub-staves below the standard male vocal staves: (Actual) and (Real World)_. The pitch numbers on (Actual) are the 'actual' pitch numbers converted from the standard notation pitches, while the ones on (Real World) are the 'real-world' pitch numbers that the_solmisasi_system applied in vocal music. Using the same Lilypond music passages/sequences, it can be achieved by setting a custom staff context property named male-vocal to ##t (true). {: .fs-4 }

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Pitches in C Major

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Sharp Mode

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Flat Mode

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Pitches in Sharp Key Signatures

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All pitches shown below are written in 'sharp mode'. {: .fs-5 }

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Click to show/hide

In this key signature, there are two modes in writing notes in solmisasi as described below. {: .fs-5 }

#### Mode 1: Actual {: no_toc }

The actual conversion from standard to solmisasi is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

#### Mode 2: Common Alternative {: no_toc }

However, it is a common practice that the music author define the A3 pitch (first A below middle C, or a in default Lilypond pitch name syntax) as the natural 1 (do). This can be achieved by transposing the converted-to-solmisasi music up by one octave. So, this 'adjusted' conversion is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide


Pitches in Flat Key Signatures

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All pitches shown below are written in 'flat mode'. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

In this key signature, there are two modes in writing notes in solmisasi as described below. {: .fs-5 }

#### Mode 1: Actual {: no_toc }

The actual conversion from standard to solmisasi is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

#### Mode 2: Common Alternative {: no_toc }

Similar to the case of A Major or F# Minor key, it is a common practice that the music author define the B♭3 pitch (first B♭ below middle C, or bes in default Lilypond pitch name syntax) as the natural 1 (do). This can be achieved by transposing the converted-to-solmisasi music up by one octave. So, this 'adjusted' conversion is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

In this key signature, there are two modes in writing notes in solmisasi as described below. {: .fs-5 }

#### Mode 1: Actual {: no_toc }

The actual conversion from standard to solmisasi is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

#### Mode 2: Common Alternative {: no_toc }

Similar to the case of A Major or F# Minor key, it is a common practice that the music author define the A♭3 pitch (first A♭ below middle C, or aes in default Lilypond pitch name syntax) as the natural 1 (do). This can be achieved by transposing the converted-to-solmisasi music up by one octave. So, this 'adjusted' conversion is shown below. {: .fs-5 }

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide

Click to show/hide


Preferred Pitch Numbers

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In most cases of writing score/sheet music in solmisasi and based on common practices, especially in Indonesia, regardless of the key signatures being used, there are some pitch numbers which users (singers, vocal groups, or choirs) doesn't like. Therefore, many music authors tend to avoid using these pitch numbers.
The preferred_solmisasi_pitch numbers are listed below. {: .fs-5 }

The question is: How do we choose the pitches to be used, if the 'original' converted pitches are not the preferred ones? {: .fs-5 }

The answer would be totally based on the skill, style, and technique that the author have and use in creating Lilypond scores. Someone could just replace the avoided pitches with the preferred ones. However, if I intend to have both outputs (standard and solmisasi), I would prefer using 'tags' in my Lilypond snippets to distinguish those notes using their enharmonic equivalencies. {: .fs-5 }

So, what are you waiting for? Let's get started! {: .fs-7 }