A singable note-labeling system for diatonic and chromatic music
SingLet is a phonetic note-labeling system designed to make every note, including sharps and flats, easy to sing, identify, and remember. It keeps letter-name recognition while giving each pitch a unique, singable label.
Built for music educators, young and adult students, and researchers exploring clearer solmizations.
Natural notes
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
| A | B | C | D | E | Fi | G |
Sharp notes
| A♯ | B♯ | C♯ | D♯ | E♯ | F♯ | G♯ |
| Ah | Bah | Cah | Dah | Eah | Fah | Gah |
Flat notes
| A♭ | B♭ | C♭ | D♭ | E♭ | F♭ | G♭ |
| Aeh | Beh | Ceh | Deh | Eeh | Feh | Geh |
* In accidental SingLets, written E takes the consonant onset /j/, like initial y in "yeh," so forms such as Eah and Eeh remain smooth CV syllables.
The SingLet (Sing + Letter) System reinvents the letter-name solmization by a phonetically optimized framework where every note has a legato-friendly monosyllable, i.e., SingLet, that preserves letter-name note identification, pitch uniqueness, and pitch-tier labelling, and additionally is easy to sing.
Natural SingLets keep the familiar letter names A, B, C, D, E, and G, while F shifts to Fi. In pronunciation, these correspond to /eɪ/, /bi/, /si/, /di/, /i/, /fi/, and /dʒi/.
Note F gets rid of its alphabetic pronunciation of /ɛf/, two discrete phones, and obtains /fi/, a CV.
This lets the natural domain preserve direct letter-name identity while improving singability where it is most needed.
Accidental SingLets keep stable consonant onsets by pitch class: A→/-/ (missing), B→/b/, C→/s/, D→/d/, E→/j/, F→/f/, and G→/dʒ/.
This onset map keeps A-G pitch classes identifiable while patterned rhymes encode accidental direction (sharp vs flat) and accidental tier (single, double, ...).
Accidental directions (sharp vs flat) and tiers (single, double, etc.) are distinguished by systematic vowel shifts. Natural notes rhyme with a bright vowel /i/, single and double sharp SingLets move toward darker vowels (/ɑ/ and /ɔ/), and flat SingLets toward /ɛ/ and /u/, respectively. These create a mnemonic ladder from bright to dark vowels.
Higher tiers extend the system to /ɑn/ and /ɔŋ/ for triple and quadruple sharp notes, and /ɛn/ and /uŋ/ for triple and quadruple flat notes.
Traditional systems do useful work, but chromatic naming still gets awkward when accidentals pile up or when fixed-pitch clarity matters.
Long chromatic names are hard to sing fluidly in drills, dictation, and sight-singing.
Letter names stay familiar, but their spoken accidental forms are bulky and inconsistent in performance.
Solfege is excellent for relative pitch, yet it is not designed as a fully fixed one-to-one note-label system in this specific way.
There is still no broadly adopted system that is fixed, systematic across accidentals, and comfortable to sing legato.
SingLet can shift aural training from relative-pitch processing toward direct pitch identification, potentially supporting more efficient acquisition of absolute-pitch awareness.
At the same time, any pitch can function as a perceptual tonic in SingLet, allowing one framework to support both absolute and relative pitch processing.
Genes probably do contribute to the fact that absolute pitch is a rare talent worldwide. Had an effective system for AP development been created and implemented, a different phenomenon may evolve to reveal alternative explanations.
The core system is simple: keep note identity stable, then use patterned rhymes to encode chromatic movement.
The natural notes keep the familiar letter names A, B, C, D, E, and G, while F shifts to Fi for smoother singing.
Each pitch class keeps a stable onset identity so the label still points back to the note letter you know.
Sharps and flats are marked by systematic vowel and rhyme changes, giving each pitch spelling its own compact sound.
A few examples show the system faster than paragraphs do. The labels stay short while the pitch spelling stays explicit.
Natural
C
C
Sharp
C♯
Cah
Flat
C♭
Ceh
Natural
F
Fi
Sharp
F♯
Fah
Flat
B♭
Beh
On the overview page, a short melody demo shows how the labels behave in a musical line rather than as isolated note names.
SingLet is already being piloted by teachers who are using it with students in real learning settings. The next phase is expanding that circle and learning from more classrooms and private studios.
Current pilots are helping test how quickly students pick up the labels and use them in singing practice.
New pilot participants can help shape the teaching materials, examples, and rollout approach.
Educators who join early get closer access to the project as it develops.
These early classroom and learner samples are meant to show the project in use. They are pilot snapshots, not polished curriculum recordings.
Pilot demo
Early learner recording from the SingLet pilot program.
Pilot demo
Short classroom-style phrase using SingLet labels.
Pilot demo
Another pilot snapshot showing live use rather than polished production.
Pilot demo
Pilot recording included as part of the early teaching examples.
Structured SingLet courses are being developed as future paid offerings for teachers, students, and serious independent learners.
A guided introduction to the note system, early drills, and practical first-use singing exercises.
Lesson-ready resources and classroom framing for educators who want to introduce SingLet systematically.
Future course work aimed at chromatic fluency, ear training, and fixed-pitch practice.
For students
For students
SingLet can reduce friction when singing chromatic notes and strengthen note-label recall.
For educators
For educators
It offers a fixed-pitch complement to existing ear-training methods without requiring solfege replacement.
For research
For research
It presents a structured proposal for testing clearer pitch naming in absolute-pitch and notation pedagogy.
The SingLet paper is moving toward publication. The public site should frame the work honestly as an active research and pedagogy project, not an established standard.
SingLet is led by Fuping Zhu with co-author John Mo. The project is open to educator outreach, pilot interest, and future collaboration.
No. SingLet is positioned as independent from solfege and potentially complementary to it, especially where fixed-pitch labeling is the main goal.
The strongest fit is fixed-pitch note labeling, including absolute-pitch-oriented training. It can still sit alongside relative-pitch work rather than replacing it.
No. The system logic extends that far, but most learners can start with naturals plus single sharps and flats.
The change from the spoken letter name /ef/ to /fi/ is meant to make the note easier to sing legato within a sequence.
A remains the vowel-only class in the proposal instead of being forced into a new consonant onset. That choice helps preserve its identity inside the overall system.
Music students, teachers, ear-training designers, and researchers interested in clearer chromatic note labeling.
Not yet as a released product, but pilots are underway and structured courses are in development.
Yes. The Worked Examples page includes a generated melody demo, scale playbacks, and pilot audio snapshots from early use.
Start with the natural notes, then single sharps and flats, then simple scales or melodies. Reach out if you want pilot information or future course updates.
Contact
If you want to explore SingLet in teaching, learn about the pilot program, or get updates on future courses and materials, reach out directly. This is the best route for educators, musicians, and early collaborators.
Best for pilot interest, educator outreach, course updates, and general project questions.