Barbershop music is a uniquely American art form of music that requires singing a cappella in four part very close harmony in order to create a ringing chord in which you will hear overtones or the “fifth voice”. This type of music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily sung melodies. There is a definite tonal center which has dominant and secondary seventh chords that resolve primarily around the circle of fifths.
The basic song and its harmonization are decided by the arranger, but then the director will interpret the music and add embellishments to support the theme of the song. Barbershop singers often will adjust pitches to achieve perfected tuned chords in just intonation while still staying true to the established tonal center. Barbershop style of singing requires precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill, fullness and a real expansion of sound and a high level of unity and consistency within the entire chorus.
How Barbershop music is presented to the audience is unique in that they use many visual as well as musical methods to convey the theme of the song and provide the audience with an emotionally satisfying and entertaining experience. Both the musical and visual delivery is always from the heart which makes it believable to the audience. The most stylistic presentation artistically melds both the musical and visual plan to create and sustain the illusions suggested by the music being sung.
The four Barbershop voice parts are: lead, tenor, baritone, and bass.
"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."
