Fi
/fiː/noun
A solfège syllable for the note one semitone above fa, corresponding to the sharpened fourth degree of a major scale.
Did you know?Unlike the original medieval solfège syllables, “fi” is a later chromatic alteration of “fa,” created to name a pitch outside the basic six-note system.
Etymological Timeline
11th Century
Medieval Latin
ut–re–mi–fa–sol–la
“The original six-note solmization syllables introduced in connection with Guido of Arezzo’s teaching system.”
16th–17th Century
Italian
fa
“The solfège syllable for the fourth note of the diatonic scale.”
17th–18th Century
Italian/European Music Theory
fi
“A chromatic alteration of fa, naming the pitch one semitone above it.”
19th Century
English
fi
“A solfège syllable used for the raised fourth scale degree.”
Modern English
English
fi
“The note one semitone above fa, often written as the sharp fourth degree.”
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