3 Steps To Begin Vocal Harmonizing

Sweeten your sound with an intuitive method when youre singing by ear says Lisa Popeil
Though harmonizing comes naturally to many, for others creating harmony parts can
seem like a mystery.
Lets say youre working on your latest song and youve got a good melody, chords &
lyrics but now its time to sweeten the sound with background vocals.
How do you choose which notes to pick out of the air?
1. Understand the Concept
Lets start by clarifying what musical element were harmonizing withand that would be
the melody.
We all know what a melody is, right?
Turns out that the definition of melody is not as obvious as you might think. I like to define
melody as a tune with rhythm.
A tune is a series of notes which relate to each other by varying distances called
intervals. So, a tune is a sequence of intervals with a rhythmic pattern.
Whats a harmony line then? Isnt a harmony line a kind of melody?
Yes, it is, but a harmony line is NOT the tune. Harmony is a melody that sounds pleasing
when sung or played as a counter-melody to the tune.
2. Know Some Basic Rules

Though its best to have some basic music theory under your belt, you can still begin to
harmonize intuitively by picking a higher or lower note to the melody that sounds good
with the chord underneath.
Another rule for learning to harmonize is to go up or down in the same direction as the
melody, UNLESS it sounds better to repeat your last note.
You dont have to move your note. Move only when it sounds good and then in the same
direction as the melody.
3. Visualize Your Harmony
Imagine a musical sandwich with the meat of the sandwich being the melody and the
harmony parts as the bread.
Both 2-part harmonies (melody + 1 harmony) and 3-part harmonies (melody + 2 harmony
parts) are widely used.
Here are several configurations of 2- and 3-part harmony sandwiches with listening
samples.
2-part harmony with melody on top:
M (melody)
LH (lower harmony)
Samples: Keith Urban Stupid Boy, Cream Sunshine of Your Love, Justin Timberlake That
Girl, Simon & Garfunkel Sounds of Silence, Colbie Callat I Never Told You
2-part harmony with melody on bottom:
UH (upper harmony)
M (melody)
Sample: Buffalo Springfield For What Its Worth, Grass Roots Midnight Confessions
3-part harmony with melody in the middle:
UH (upper harmony)
M (melody)
LH (lower harmony)
Samples: Dixie Chicks Landslide, Ronettes Chapel of Love, Mamas & Papas California
Dreaming
3-part harmony with melody on the bottom:
1UH (highest upper harmony)

2UH (lower upper harmony)

M (melody)
Sample: Crosby, Stills, Nash Helplessly Hoping, Beatles Here Comes the Sun
3-part harmony with melody on top:
M (melody)
1LH (top lower harmony)
2LH (bottom lower harmony)
Sample: Linda Ronstadt Blue Bayou
The late 1960s and early 1970s were the heyday of great harmonies, so find old-school
recordings, sing along with the melody first, then find the complementary notes, whether
above or below the melody, to practice the great art of harmonization.
Lisa Popeil, MFA in Voice, is one of LAs top voice coaches. She is
the creator of the Voiceworks Method and the Total Singer DVD,
conducts cutting-edge voice research, and is an international
lecturer and vocal health consultant. See www.popeil.com
Disqus seems to be taking longer than usual. Reload?