Why harmony singers are (usually) lovely people

Not everyone likes to sing in harmony with others, but those who do are often really nice people.

photo by Richard Foster

Why is that? And is it a universal truth?

Vocal exercises to help singers tune into a cappella harmony

I thought I’d share a few vocal exercises that I use to help singers tune in to a cappella harmony. 

© Susie Mendelsson

I often integrate these into the warm up sessions to get people listening more closely before we move on to learning harmony songs.

How I teach harmony songs

An interesting question popped up on a Facebook group: How do you teach harmony parts to your singers?

There were several different approaches, some of them using recordings or keyboards. Here is how I do it.

Why rounds aren’t the best way to introduce singing in harmony

Rounds are often seen as a simple way into harmony singing.

photo by Hyacinth, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

But I would argue that they’re not that simple and aren’t a good way to introduce harmony. Here’s why.

Can only singers lead choirs, only music readers arrange songs and only musicians be songwriters?

Many choir leaders demonstrate and teach songs by singing them. But can you lead a choir without being able to sing? Similarly, do you need to be able to read music to be a song arranger, or be a musician to write songs?

 

The simple answer to these questions (I believe) is “No.” Here’s why.

How to sing a drone of staggering beauty

A drone is a note continuously sounded throughout most or all of a song.

 

But singers have to breathe, so how can this be achieved?

The different types of polyphonic singing 9: synthesis polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s synthesis polyphony, the last of the nine types of polyphonic singing.

The different types of polyphonic singing 8: chordal polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

Tenores di Bitti, Sardinia

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s chordal polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 7: overlapping polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

 

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s overlapping polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 6: heterophonic polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples.

This week it’s heterophonic polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 5: ostinato polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. 

This week it’s ostinato polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 4: contrapuntal polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

 

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. This week it’s contrapuntal polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 3: canonic polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

Gailė Paštukaitė, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. This week it’s canonical polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 2: drone polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

 

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. This week it’s drone polyphony.

The different types of polyphonic singing 1: parallel polyphony

Joseph Jordania has outlined nine different types of polyphonic singing in his book Choral singing in human evolution.

Photo by Michael Trolove

I will be working through each type trying to give a simplified explanation and some musical examples. This week it’s parallel polyphony.

What is polyphonic singing?

Most choirs sing in harmony. They sing a kind of ‘vocal polyphony’.

It’s a bit of a daunting word, but very useful. So let’s find out what ‘polyphony’ means.

Singing harmony can be hard and scary – here’s how to make it easier

Those of use who love to sing in harmony sometimes forget how hard and scary it can be for those who haven’t tried it before.

The Watersons

Here are some handy hints on how to ease your way into harmony singing without getting too worried.

How to sing harmony on your own

I love harmony singing. But sometimes I don’t have the luxury of other people to sing with.



Here are some ways to sing harmony, even if you’re on your own.

Does interval training work?

There are many interval training exercises to help singers distinguish between, say, a perfect fourth and a minor third.



But do they actually work? Do the exercises carry over into the singing?

Singing in harmony as a metaphor for life

Singing together is known to have many benefits, for both mental and physical well-being.

photo by William Murphy

But if we think about it, singing together is also a wonderful example of how to live a harmonious life. Here’s how singing in harmony can be seen as a metaphor for life.