What is barbershop?

Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. The melody is consistently sung by the lead, with the tenor harmonizing above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completing the chord.

	Say what? Ok, so that's the "official" terminology - here's what it means.   "Unaccompanied vocal music" - a cappella singing - voices only - no instruments to help out - not even a keyboard or CD.   "Consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture" - wow - the predominant melody is usually surrounded by three harmony notes for each note sung.

 

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The melody is not sung by the tenor except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags and codas, or when some appropriate embellishing effect can be created. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

	In most ensemble singing the melody is carried by the higher notes (soprano) - in this style of singing the melody is sung by a mid-range voice - the highest notes are part of the harmony.  The voice parts from high to low are Tenor (harmony), Lead (melody), Baritone (harmony), Bass (harmony).

 

Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies whose tones clearly define a tonal center and imply major and minor chords and Barbershop (dominant and secondary dominant) seventh chords that resolve primarily around the circle of fifths, while making frequent use of other resolutions. Barbershop music also features a balanced and symmetrical form, and a standard meter.

	"Barbershop style" simply means that the voicing is usually very close together - (if you were playing a keyboard, both hands would be playing in basically the same space) - that's what causes the "goosebumps" when the harmonies are produced correctly.

 

The basic song and its harmonization are embellished by the arranger to provide support of the song's theme and to close the song effectively. Barbershop singers adjust pitches to achieve perfectly tuned chords in just intonation while remaining true to the established tonal center.

Artistic singing in the Barbershop style exhibits a fullness or expansion of sound, precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill and a high level of unity and consistency within the ensemble. Ideally, these elements are natural, unmanufactured and free from apparent effort.

	This is not your basic "mothersingers choir" - the art form is demanding & precise, but so very rewarding - "goosebumps" everywhere. Please note, however, that choruses are made up of "average" singers - the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

 

The presentation of Barbershop music uses appropriate musical and visual methods to convey the theme of the song and provide the audience with an emotionally satisfying and entertaining experience. The musical and visual delivery is from the heart, believable, and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout. The most stylistic presentation artistically melds together the musical and visual aspects to create and sustain the illusions suggested by the music.

	The chorus doesn't just "stand there & sing" - the singer is a performer, "dancing, swaying, emoting" during the entire performance.   Our organization is educational in nature - we teach all of the components to sing & produce the entertainment, as well as the components required to maintain the continuity & business of a chorus.

History of Sweet Adelines International

After World War II, barbershop singing was growing increasingly popular for men. In 1945, a small group of women wanted to participate in the chord-ringing, fun-filled harmony that the men were singing. So these women organized "Sweet Adelines in America." From its humble beginnings in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sweet Adelines International, as it is now called, has grown to a membership of almost 30,000 women in countries all across the globe.