Can Someone Explain The Power of Vocal Harmony?

[Fruitloop]

There's some brilliant heterophonic Scottish psalm-singing that still goes on in some churches. I seem to remember hearing a theory that Palestrina's stuff was originally performed this style as well, which is about a million miles from the recordings of it that you hear these days.

So-called authentic performance is a thoroughly modern aesthetic anyway...<runs>

 

[chymaera]

I can't explain the power, but I have been to some Breton cultural evenings where people have sung with no instrumental backing, and they have always been hair standing up on the back of the head magical experiences.

 

[the button]

Have had similar experiences in the Basque country. Some areas just seem to have a strongly developed tradition of unaccompanied singing.

The English song tradition is largely unaccompanied too, but it's a pretty much a "solo" rather than a "harmony" tradition. The big exception being the Copper family from Rottingdean (who have been mentioned several times on this thread).

http://www.thecopperfamily.com/

They're still recording & performing, and I'd urge anyone with an interest in this sort of thing to see them "live."

Their style of quite "church-y" harmonies (where everyone gets their own "tune") is pretty unique. Although it was taken up in the late 60s/early 70s by The Young Tradition (shit name, I know). Most of the YT stuff isn't available anymore, although they did a record called "The holly bears the crown" which has recently been issued for the first time, having been recorded just before they split up. You can get it on Amazon for cheap, and (IIRC) there's sound samples on the Amazon website.

There's a more "northern" style (probably exemplified by the Watersons from lovely Hull), where the voices are lot closer together which I find a lot easier to do/join in with. Being teh northern scum myself.



Any road up, I love this stuff. Heh.

 

[chymaera]

The English song tradition is largely unaccompanied too, but it's a pretty much a "solo" rather than a "harmony" tradition. The big exception being the Copper family from Rottingdean (who have been mentioned several times on this thread).

http://www.thecopperfamily.com/

They're still recording & performing, and I'd urge anyone with an interest in this sort of thing to see them "live."

There are still plenty of pubs in Cornwall with a folksinging tradition with no instrumental backing. In fact ANY gathering is likely to have someone call "strike up" and an outbreak of singing follow.

 

[the button]

There are still plenty of pubs in Cornwall with a folksinging tradition with no instrumental backing. In fact ANY gathering is likely to have someone call "strike up" and an outbreak of singing follow.

I love that kind of thing. Another reason for me to venture out of London at some point.

 

[8ball]

see, i never know what to think when people say stuff like that

it means i must present myself as only liking certain kinds of things, which i'm sure isn't the case.

I dunno, I guess everyone builds up a sort of picture in their heads of people from their posts - it's just text and smileys so you're missing a few channels of input on Urban

It makes the meet-ups more interesting.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I've got a fairly reasonable knowledge of the technical ins and outs of music theory/acoustics, so I know how these things are created, how they interact etc etc.

As to why they work in the way they do - do you know what? I don't want to know. There are some things in life I'm just happy to accept that simply, well, just are.

Well I'd like to know how I can harmonise more or less automatically (with anything from gospel music to a washing machine) despite having only the vaguest idea of what harmonies are or how they work...

 

[saucisson]

my fave harmony is chorus of Surrender by Cheap Trick. beauty

Cheap trick are masters at good pop harmonies. great band. still great (althought they are bloody ancient and looked it when I saw them last year)

 

[Spion]

Yeah, how dare people try and develop their love for music by finding new ways to approach it!!

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[the button]

Well I'd like to know how I can harmonise more or less automatically (with anything from gospel music to a washing machine) despite having only the vaguest idea of what harmonies are or how they work...

Buy a CD with harmony singing on it & sing along -- listen to it lots & lots, then start singing along with "the tune" as you hear it (the chances are you'll be singing harmonies already), then start trying to sing your own line: maybe following "the tune" & going up or down when you feel confident enough to do so.

Although people take the piss, the old "finger in the ear" thing does help with this, as it helps you to hear your own voice. Be aware that it does make you sing (ever so slightly) sharp however.

If teh folky thing is your thing, a good singalong "teach yourself harmony" CD would be The Watersons' Early Days, which is a compilation of their first recordings, and available midprice. Or No-one stands alone by Blue Murder, for something more recent.

 

[the button]

I am also reminded by the vocalist sitting next to me that singing in rounds is a good first step in harmony singing, because it makes you concentrate on your own singing, rather than being tempted to just follow other people's lines.

So all you need is two or three mates who'll have a go at "London's burning."

 

[Jazzz]

make that

Beautiful.

A 12-year old Mozart famously managed to write out the whole score for that after listening to a performance

 

[Macabre]

I downloaded some Rachel Unthank based on this thread, got it last night and put it straight on my ipod without looking at it. I stuck it on as I left my flat to be struck by 'On a Monday Morning' as I walked to the tube, put a smile on my face

Shes playing The Magpie's Nest, Islington on Nov 1st.

 

[poului]

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No surrender to the fash.