# Do Re Mi vs C D E: Solfège and Letter Names Explained

> Do Re Mi or C D E? Learn how solfège maps to letter names, fixed do vs movable do, why some say Si and others Ti, and which naming system to learn for piano.

Source: https://everygoodnote.com/blog/do-re-mi-vs-letter-names/ · Updated 2026-11-11 · By EveryGoodNote

## Quick answer

**Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si (or Ti)** and **C D E F G A B** are two ways of naming the same seven notes.

- In **fixed do**, used in many countries, Do is always C, Re is always D, and so on.
- In **movable do**, common in some English-language teaching such as the Kodály method, Do is the first note of whatever key you are in.

For reading piano music, either system works, because the notes sit in the same places on the staff. Learn letter names if you plan to use English-language books, apps or teachers.

Some people learn notes as **C D E F G A B**. Others learn **Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si**. If you grew up with one system and meet the other in a book, an app or a video, it can feel like learning music twice.

You do not need to start again. Both systems name the same seven notes, and the staff looks the same whichever names you use. This guide explains how the two systems line up, what fixed do and movable do mean, and which one to learn.

## The quick mapping: letters to solfège

In the most common system, **fixed do**, each syllable always matches one letter:

| Letter name | Solfège (fixed do) | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C | Do | Also called Ut in older French usage |
| D | Re | Written Ré in French |
| E | Mi | |
| F | Fa | |
| G | Sol | Sometimes shortened to So |
| A | La | |
| B | Si | Ti in English-language movable do |

> **Diagram (treble clef):** Letter names from middle C up to the C above. Notes shown, left to right: C (C4), D (D4), E (E4), F (F4), G (G4), A (A4), B (B4), C (C5).
> **Diagram (treble clef):** The same notes in fixed-do solfège. Notes shown, left to right: Do (C4), Re (D4), Mi (E4), Fa (F4), Sol (G4), La (A4), Si (B4), Do (C5).
On the piano, the pattern is the same. Do is the white key just left of each group of two black keys, wherever C would be.

> **Keyboard diagram:** In fixed do, every C on the keyboard is Do. Highlighted keys: C.
## Letter names: C D E F G A B

Letter names come from the first seven letters of the alphabet. After G, the sequence starts again at A. English-language music uses these letters everywhere: in books, chord symbols, apps and videos.

German-speaking countries use a slightly different set. In German, **H** means B natural, and **B** means B flat. So a German score or theory book might say "H" where an English one says "B". You only need to know this if you read German-language material.

## Solfège: Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si

Solfège gives each note a singable syllable. It is used to sing melodies, train the ear and, in many countries, to name notes on the staff.

There are two main ways to use it, and they work quite differently.

### Fixed do

In **fixed do**, Do is always C. Re is always D, and so on, whatever key the music is in. The syllables work exactly like letter names.

Fixed do is the standard way to name notes in many countries, including France, Italy, Spain and much of Latin America. Musicians there say "Sol" where an English speaker says "G".

### Movable do

In **movable do**, Do is the first note (the **tonic**) of the key you are in. In C major, Do is C. In G major, Do is G, Re is A, Mi is B, and so on.

Movable do is popular in some English-language teaching, such as the Kodály method, because it trains you to hear how notes relate to the key. A major scale always sounds like Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do, whatever note it starts on.

> **Diagram (treble clef):** G major scale in fixed do. The syllables keep their letter meaning. Notes shown, left to right: Sol (G4), La (A4), Si (B4), Do (C5), Re (D5), Mi (E5), Fa♯ (F#5), Sol (G5).
> **Diagram (treble clef):** The same G major scale in movable do. G becomes Do. Notes shown, left to right: G (G4), A (A4), B (B4), C (C5), D (D5), E (E5), F♯ (F#5), G (G5).
Because movable do describes a note's place in the key, it is used mainly for singing and ear training. For naming notes on the piano, you need a system where one position on the staff always has one name. That means letter names or fixed do.

## Si or Ti: why there are two names for B

Both are correct. They come from different traditions.

- **Si** is the older name and is still used in fixed-do countries.
- **Ti** is used mainly in English-language movable-do teaching. It was introduced so that every syllable starts with a different letter. With Si, both Sol and Si start with S.

If you see "Ti" in a song like *Do-Re-Mi* or in a choir class, it is the same scale step as "Si". In fixed do, both mean B.

## Sharps and flats in solfège

In **fixed do**, you add the sharp or flat to the syllable, just as you would to a letter. C♯ is Do♯ (Do diesis in Italian, Do dièse in French), and B♭ is Si♭.

> **Diagram (treble clef):** Fixed do with sharps: Do♯, Fa♯ and Sol♯ are C♯, F♯ and G♯. Notes shown, left to right: Do♯ (C#4), Fa♯ (F#4), Sol♯ (G#4).
> **Diagram (treble clef):** Fixed do with flats: Mi♭, La♭ and Si♭ are E♭, A♭ and B♭. Notes shown, left to right: Mi♭ (Eb4), La♭ (Ab4), Si♭ (Bb4).
In **movable do**, there are special chromatic syllables instead. Raised notes change their vowel to "i", so Do becomes **Di** and Fa becomes **Fi**. Lowered notes often change to "a" or "e", so Re becomes **Ra** and Ti becomes **Te**. You will mostly meet these in singing and ear-training classes.

For a full guide to reading accidentals on the staff, see [sharps and flats on the staff](/blog/sharps-and-flats-on-the-staff/).

## Which system should you learn for piano

For reading piano music, **the system matters less than you might think**. A note's position on the staff tells you which key to play. Whether you call that position G or Sol does not change where your finger goes.

Some practical guidance:

- **If you use English-language books, apps, videos or teachers**, learn letter names. Chord symbols such as C, Am and G7 also use letters.
- **If your teacher or school uses fixed do**, learn that first. You can add letter names later by learning the mapping table above.
- **If you sing in a choir or study ear training**, you may also meet movable do. Treat it as an ear tool, separate from naming notes on the piano.
- **If you already know one system**, keep it as your main one. Learn the other by matching it to the names you already know.

Many musicians end up knowing both. The mapping is fixed and only seven notes long, so it does not take long to learn.

> Name single notes at your own pace, one at a time with no clock.: [Practise untimed](https://everygoodnote.com/play/?tab=read&clef=treble)
## Learning both at once

If you want to switch systems, or teach a child who uses a different one at school, link the two names together from the start:

1. **Say both names** as you play: "C, Do", "D, Re", "E, Mi".
2. **Start with a small set**, such as middle C to G (Do to Sol). Five notes are easy to pair up.
3. **Use the landmarks.** Middle C is Do, treble G is Sol, bass F is Fa.
4. **Then drop one name** and practise only the system you want to keep as your main one.

> **Diagram (treble clef):** Middle C to G in both systems: Do Re Mi Fa Sol is C D E F G. Notes shown, left to right: Do (C4), Re (D4), Mi (E4), Fa (F4), Sol (G4).
See [how to read piano notes](/blog/how-to-read-piano-notes/) for the full guide to the staff and clefs. The same positions work in either naming system.

## Switching names in EveryGoodNote

EveryGoodNote lets you choose how notes are named. In **Settings**, set note names to **C D E**, **Do Re Mi**, or **both**. The "both" option is useful while you are learning the mapping, or when a child learns one system at school and a parent knows the other.

The app also lets you choose the order of the answer buttons (A–G or C–B). C–B order matches the solfège order, Do to Si.

> Start with the five notes from middle C to G, then switch names in Settings.: [Practise middle C to G](https://everygoodnote.com/play/?level=mid)
## Common mix-ups between the two systems

- **Reading movable-do syllables as fixed notes.** If a choir sheet says "Do" for a song in G major, that Do is G. Check which system the source uses.
- **Mixing up Sol and Si.** Both start with S. Remember that Sol is G and Si is B, the note just below the next Do.
- **Thinking A is the first note.** Letter names start at A, but scales and solfège usually start at C (Do). That is why the C–B button order matches Do to Si.
- **Translating every note in your head.** It is slow. Pick one main system and read in it directly. Translate only when you need to talk to someone who uses the other.
- **Assuming B means the same thing everywhere.** In German-language music, B is B flat. B natural is H.

## Summary

- **C D E F G A B** and **Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si** name the same notes.
- **Fixed do**: Do is always C. Used in many countries.
- **Movable do**: Do is the tonic of the key. Used mainly for singing and ear training.
- **Si and Ti** both mean the seventh note. Ti is the English-language movable-do version.
- **German** uses H for B natural and B for B flat.
- For piano, any system that gives each staff position one name will work. Choose the one your books, teacher and apps use.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Do the same as C?

In fixed do, yes: Do is always C. In movable do, Do is the first note of the key, so it is C only in C major.

### Is it Si or Ti?

Both are correct. Si is used in fixed-do countries. Ti is used mainly in English-language movable-do teaching, so that each syllable starts with a different letter.

### What are the solfège syllables in order?

Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si (or Ti), then Do again. In fixed do they match C, D, E, F, G, A, B.

### Should I learn Do Re Mi or letter names for piano?

Either works for reading the staff. If you use English-language books, apps and videos, learn letter names. If your teacher or country uses fixed do, learn that and add letters later.

### Why does German music use H?

In German, H means B natural and B means B flat. You will see this in German-language sheet music and music theory books.