Vocal harmony

Vocal harmony is the simultaneous singing of different pitches that combine into chords or harmonically related parts. It can be arranged or improvised, with singers moving together or independently.

Chord: A chord is a group of pitches sounding together, usually understood through their intervals and musical function. Vocal parts form chords when their simultaneous pitches are heard as a combined sonority.
Melody: A melody is a sequence of pitches perceived as a coherent musical line. Harmony is heard in relation to the melodies carried by individual singers.
Barbershop music: Barbershop music is a close-harmony vocal style built around four-part arrangements and ringing chords. Its characteristic chordal sound depends on precisely tuned, tightly voiced parts.
Unison: Unison is the simultaneous performance of the same pitch or melody by multiple performers. Unlike harmony, unison singing does not divide singers among different pitches.
Interval: An interval is the distance in pitch between two notes. The intervals between singers’ notes shape each harmony’s sound and stability.
Musical scale: A musical scale is an ordered collection of pitches used as a basis for melodies and harmonies. A shared scale supplies the pitch vocabulary for most arranged vocal parts.
Gospel music: Gospel music is Christian music rooted in African American religious traditions. Gospel ensembles use vocal harmony for both arranged support and expressive response.
Octave doubling: Octave doubling is the simultaneous performance of the same musical line at different octaves. It thickens a line but generally preserves its identity rather than adding chord tones.
Voice leading: Voice leading is the movement of individual musical lines between notes and chords. Smooth voice leading lets singers connect harmonies while keeping each part singable.
Tessitura: Tessitura is the range in which a voice or part spends most of its time. Arrangers place harmony notes within each singer’s comfortable, resonant range.

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