What is barbershop?
(From Wikipedia)
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or baritone, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. One characteristic feature of barbershop harmony is the use of what is known as “snakes” and “swipes.” This is when a chord is altered by a change in one or more non-melodic voices.[1] Occasional passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.
Quite simply, Barbershop is a style of music that contains four distinct parts. Ninety-eight percent of the time, there is no overlap of notes.
What is four part harmony?
Simply put, 4-part harmony is made when all four distinct parts are singing different notes within the song at the same time. For Barbershop Harmony, each members sings a different part. The Lead sings the melody. The tenor will usually sing in the upper ranges of a song. The Bass will sing in the lower ranges of a song. And the Baritone will fill in the gaps, and is often higher than a bass but lower than a lead in vocal range.
What is a tag and why should I sing one?
Tags are often the ending AFTER the ending to a song. They are also the juciest and shortest part of a song that Barbershoppers will spend hours singing. They are short, easy to learn, and contain tight harmonies.
What is a barbershop polecat song?
When Barbershoppers go to gatherings and conventions across the country, they like to sing. Polecat songs are a special set of 12 songs that everyone in the Barbershop Harmony Society should know. When a singer wants to gather three other parts, they can sing one of the Polecat songs because all three parts will be represented quite easily. It’s a way to create harmony with total strangers who love singing.
What’s unique about barbershop harmony?
First, it’s a unique sound created only using the voice. It’s an art form that is difficult to master but fun to learn. When you run across barbershop quartets on the internet, they are often the best of the best. They have spent hundreds of hours as a quartet perfecting intonation, vowel matches, breathing, lyrics, stage presence, and overall vocal quality. When you first get into an impromptu quarter, you’ll notice that “it ain’t as easy as it looks.” That’s because those guys on Youtube are the best of the best and merely make the craft look easy.
To that point, singing in a barbershop harmony chorus is much different than singing in a quartet. In choruses in general, you can know 90% of the music and still sound great. That’s because you’ll probably have at least one or two more vocalists in your section carrying the weight. However, in a quartet, you are it. Either you know your part or you don’t. If you don’t, you will stick out like a sore thumb, as they say. So, while the guys online make it look easy, it’s incredibly difficult to master. Not at all impossible, but difficult.
However, when you ring your first chord, you’ll know it. “Ringing chords” is difficult to explain but easy enough to experience.
Isn’t this just a bunch of old guys wearing striped jackets?
That’s funny. That’s the perception, isn’t it? Granted, most choruses do have their fair share of older gentlemen in them but it’s only because they like singing. And the striped jackets? Sure, some do wear those but they are few and far between. Yes, Jimmy Fallon does an occasional bit with a Barbershop Quartet, and they’re easy to make fun of. However, the sound they make, even singing only a few measures of music is top quality four-part harmony.
What is a convention like?
What does “ringing a chord” mean?
Can you really hear a fifth note when only four people are singing?
Absolutely. There are even times you can hear two or three notes when only one note is being sung. The clearest example of this is by Westminster Chorus in California. They were in a warmup exercise outside and only sang TWO notes. Listen and marvel at the other harmonic notes being made. The third and fourth notes are called overtones.