What is Barbershop?

In simple terms, barbershop harmony is vocal harmony produced by four parts: lead, tenor, baritone and bass. It is different from any other kind of choral or group singing. It is sung a cappella (without instrumental accompaniment), and is one of the most challenging and satisfying forms of music for the singer.

Lead is the melody and is sung in the range between A below middle C, and C above middle C. Lead singers need to be accurate singers with a full, authoritative sound. All the rest of us hang our harmony parts on the lead's melody. Most harmony singers hate to admit it, but the lead really IS the most important part - -after all, it's the melody!

Tenor is a harmony part sung consistently above the lead. Although tenor is the highest voice in barbershop harmony, it should not be confused with soprano of conventional singing groups. The tenor should have a light, clear, pure tone that will compliment, but not overpower, the lead voice.

Baritone covers approximately the same range as lead. The baritone harmony notes cross the lead notes, sometimes sung below and sometimes above. Baritones must constantly adjust their balance to accommodate their position in the chord. Many call the baritone part the "garbage part" because the musical line is often quite tricky, but baritones prefer to think of their part as vocal gymnastics.

Bass singers should have a rich, mellow voice and be able to sing the E flat below middle C easily. Basses should not be confused with the alto of conventional groups. Many altos can sing the bass part, but others are much better suited to lead or baritone, depending on range and vocal quality. Because the barbershop style calls for basses to sing notes that are strong components of the chords, the bass part is really the foundation of the barbershop sound.

Barbershop harmony is characterized by a "cone-shaped" sound, with the lower voices singing a wider, more resonant tone. When all four voices are singing the correct notes, tuning them accurately, producing a tone that is appropriate for their placement in the cone, and matching their vowel sounds, a wonderful thing happens! Those four tones produce a ring or overtone -- a fifth tone that nobody is singing, but that we all can hear. To "lock and ring" a chord is the goal of every barbershop group, and it's sure to bring on the goosebumps and the applause!