What is Barbershop?
Standard choral music uses the Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass (SATB) designations. SATB arrangements attempt to balance sound equally across all four of the parts. On the other hand, barbershop uses the original men’s voicing of Tenor, Baritone and Bass (TTBB) with the addition of a Lead part, or melody. Barbershop attempts to balance the sound in a cone shape with the bass having the strongest sound, giving the chord a firm foundation. The lead usually sings the melody, with the tenor harmonizing above the lead. The bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes and the baritone sings either above or below the lead to make chords that give barbershop its unique, full sound.
Does that mean we sing old time music with straw hats and canes?? NOT AT ALL! Our music team works hard to keep our repertoire fresh and appealing to a wide audience. The bottom line, we are always looking for new song ideas to showcase our beautiful harmonies!
The Four Parts
The Lead bring the melody to life and their voices help tell the story of the song. Leads have a versatile range usually singing in the range between A below middle C and C above middle C. For new barbershop singers – it is often recommended to start singing in the lead section. Once comfortable, they can easily migrate to other sections.
The Tenor is a harmony part sung consistently above the lead. Tenors add the light, airy notes singing the highest notes of the chord. Although tenor is the highest voice in barbershop harmony, it should not be confused with soprano of conventional choral singing. The tenor should have a light, sweet, pure tone that will compliment but not overpower the lead voice.
While the Baritone covers approximately the same range as lead – they serve a key role, providing harmony notes sometimes singing above or below the melody line. In this way – it is important for Baritones to adjust their balance to accommodate their position in the chord.
The Bass singers have a rich, mellow voice that anchors the song. Most often they can sing to 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 better suited to lead or baritone.
Probably the most distinctive facet of barbershop harmony is expanded sound. It is created when the harmonics in the individually sung tones reinforce each other to produce subtle overtones or undertones. Barbershoppers call this “ringing a chord.” Singing in a quartet or chorus and creating that fifth voice is one of the most thrilling musical sensations you’ll ever experience! It’s the goal of every barbershop group, and it’s sure to bring on the goose bumps and the applause.
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.
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.