Have you ever wanted to sing a tune but did not know the names of the notes? Long ago, music teachers invented special singing names to help. They are do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, and then back to do.

These names are called solfège, and together they make one full scale. Each name is one step of the scale, like stairs you sing up one at a time.

The magic of do-re-mi is that it works for any song, high or low. Do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti gives every step of the scale a singing name, so any tune can be sung by its steps.

You do not need to know fancy note letters to use solfège. You just listen for how the steps go up and down, and your voice follows along. Do feels like home, and the tune always loves to come back to do.

Singers use solfège to learn new songs quickly and to sing in tune. Choirs around the world warm up with do-re-mi before a big concert.

Try singing up the ladder, do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do, and then back down again. Once your ears learn these names, you can sing almost any melody you hear.