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Every key

G major: doh is G, 1 = G.

Where every solfa syllable and jianpu number sits in G major, how each notation writes the key, and the keys a hymn in G moves to.

The G major scale in solfa and jianpu

Solfa and jianpu are movable do: the syllables and numbers name the steps of the scale, not fixed pitches. In G major, step one is G, so this is what each one sounds as.

StepSolfaSaidJianpuNote
1 d doh 1 G
2 r ray 2 A
3 m mi 3 B
4 f fah 4 C
5 s soh 5 D
6 l lah 6 E
7 t ti 7 F♯

The next doh up, written with an octave mark above (a dot above the 1 in jianpu), is G again, an octave higher. The doh-mi-soh chord, d m s or 1 3 5, is G B D.

How each notation writes the key

  • Tonic solfa: a key line at the start, such as Key G or Doh is G. Nothing else on the page changes with the key.
  • Jianpu: 1 = G at the top left, beside the time signature.
  • Staff notation: 1 sharp (F♯) in the key signature.

That is why moving a hymn into G costs nothing in solfa or jianpu: you change the key line and every syllable stays where it was. The guide to transposing in solfa shows how to choose the new key for a choir.

Fe and ta: the two altered notes you meet most

SolfaJianpuNote in GWhat it usually does
fe ♯4 C♯ Leans up to soh, often on the way into D major
ta ♭7 F Leans down to lah, often on the way into C major

Every raised and lowered syllable is in the tonic solfa primer.

The keys a hymn in G moves to

A modulation in solfa is written as a change of doh, so the question is which note becomes the new doh.

  • Up to soh: D major. Soh (D) becomes the new doh, and the old fe (C♯) becomes the new ti. This is the commonest change of key in a hymn tune.
  • Down to fah: C major. Fah (C) becomes the new doh, and the old ta (F) becomes the new fah.

The relative minor: E minor, on lah

E minor uses the same seven notes as G major and centres on lah (E). Solfa keeps doh as G and the tune simply settles on l. Jianpu usually states the minor on 6 instead: 6 = E. The guide to minor keys in jianpu explains why.

Hymns in G in the library

Free, public-domain hymns that DomiSol's library prints with doh on G. Each opens in the editor, where you can move it to any key.

Questions people ask about G major

What is doh in the key of G?

Doh is G. In G major the solfa syllables d r m f s l t sound as G A B C D E F♯, and the doh an octave up is G again.

How is G major written in jianpu?

As 1 = G, at the top left of the score. The numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 then sound as G A B C D E F♯.

How many sharps or flats does G major have?

1 sharp (F♯) in staff notation. In solfa and jianpu you write none of them: the key line (doh is G, or 1 = G) says where the scale starts, and the syllables or numbers carry the rest.

What is the relative minor of G major?

E minor, which starts on lah (6) and uses the same seven notes. In jianpu a piece in E minor is usually written 6 = E; in solfa the key line still names doh (G) and the tune centres on lah.

Write a score in G

DomiSol is a free editor for tonic solfa and jianpu. Set the key to G, type d r m or 1 2 3, and press play to hear it at pitch. To find the note before the choir sings, the online pitch pipe plays G and every other doh.

Every key

All twelve keys in one table