Do-Hum-Me

Do-Hum-Me is a mnemonic device, primarily used in the field of music and music education, to aid in the memorization of the diatonic scale degrees. It represents a simplified pronunciation of the solfège syllables used to name each degree of the scale. Specifically, it refers to the "Do," "Re," "Mi" progression found in the beginning of a diatonic scale.

The term is a concatenation of the first three solfège syllables:

• Do: The tonic or first degree of the scale.
• Re: The supertonic or second degree of the scale.
• Mi: The mediant or third degree of the scale.

Do-Hum-Me, while not a formal term recognized in standard music theory textbooks, serves as an accessible and easily remembered phrase, especially for young or beginning music students, to help them identify and recall the first three scale degrees in sequence. Its primary function is as a teaching tool rather than a complex theoretical concept. The effectiveness lies in its straightforwardness and sonic similarity to the actual solfège syllables. Its usage is generally limited to introductory music instruction.