Posts Tagged ‘Sing backup harmony’
Sing Vocal Harmony, Together As One
Vocal harmony is two or more voices singing at the same time, in harmony with each other. Generally harmonies are built upon the third or fifth of the chord. It is right to say that most bands today strive for at least two and hopefully three harmony parts. To be the best harmony singer you can it is helpful if you learn a little about chord structure. Listen for the other harmonies as you listen to music and you will begin to be able to separate them. Music theory may also be learned by taking a college course if you like.
If you listen to all music with an ear toward harmony you will begin to hear more and more detail. Try to pick out a harmony part and sing along with it as the song plays out. The best situation is to find someone else to practice with. You can switch between who sings melody and who sings harmony so you each get the challenge of finding a good harmony part. In order that both singers are comfortable with their parts, transpose to different keys to accommodate your vocal range.
Look for singing groups or classes in your community. People love to sing and that is what draws people to classes or choirs like these. There are choirs, madrigals and musicals just to name a few. Folk and bluegrass are an excellent choice for learning harmony.
Learn the basics of piano so you can pick out the harmonies visually. Learning piano will be useful to you in every phase of music so spend some time getting to know your way around the piano. If you can play only the melody with one finger, you can find a third or a fifth above or below and start to train your ear. You may even fall in love with the piano along the way.
You will find it much easier to find the right note after you practice these ideas for a while. The main singer is not to be overshadowed, remember that. You must lose your ego and sing beneath the melody to be good at singing back up harmony.