Higher Ground in Tonic Solfa
Higher Ground in Tonic Solfa to HIGHER GROUND: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the four verses and the refrain, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| s,I’ms,press-ding | mon--mtherup-dward | l,way,--rNewdheightsl,I’m | s,gain---dingmev-dery | rday;--s,Stills,pray-ding |
| mas--mI’mron-dward | l,bound,--r“Lord,dplantl,my | s,feetdonmhigh--rer- | dground.”--s,Lord,dliftmme |
| sup--sandfletmme | fstand,--s,Byt,faith,ron | fHeav---fen’smta-rble- | mland,--sAshigh-mer |
| dplane--mthanrIdhave | l,found;--rLord,dplantl,my | s,feetdonmhigh--rer- | dground.-- |
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- Key
- G major
- Doh
- G
- Time
- 3/4
- Starts on
- s, (D)
- Range
- s, to s (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- HIGHER GROUND
- Words
- Johnson Oatman Jr.
Tune HIGHER GROUND by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1856–1932); words by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856–1922). Sources and licences.
The solfa line by line
The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.
Doh is G · 3/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in G major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Refrain
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum G and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
- Pitch the first note. The tune starts on s, (D), on the word “I’m”, as a pickup before the first full bar.
- Count the time. 3/4 means three crotchet beats in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
- Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l t. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.
New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.
About the hymn
Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote the words, first published in 1898. The tune, HIGHER GROUND, is by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1902).
- Words (1898): Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856–1922)
- Music (1902): Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1856–1932)
Tune HIGHER GROUND by Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1856–1932); words by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856–1922).
Sung to the same tune: My God! All Nature Owns Thy Sway, Our Father God! Not Face to Face.
Questions about Higher Ground
What is the doh of Higher Ground?
In this version, in G major, doh is G. If your choir sings it in another key, doh moves to the new key note and every solfa syllable stays the same — that is what movable doh means.
What note does Higher Ground start on?
It starts on s, (D in G major), a pickup on the word “I’m” before the first full bar. Find doh first, then sing up or down to s,.
Is Higher Ground in the public domain?
Yes. Johnson Oatman Jr. died in 1922, Charles Hutchinson Gabriel died in 1932; the words were first published in 1898 and the music in 1902. Everyone named died before 1955 and both were published before 1929, so the hymn is out of copyright in the UK, the EU, the United States and Nigeria. Modern arrangements and translations can still be under copyright.