Writing harmony parts

[David]

Hi all,

I've been listening to a lot of Norman Blake lately and I love his harmony arrangements, especially on duets with Nancy Blake's cello. I have no idea how to write harmonies (I'm lucky to get the lead part right!) and I haven't found any basic instructions here or at co-mando. Can anyone break down the basics of writing a harmony part for a standard tune like, say, Whisky Before Breakfast for a mandolin duet? Perhaps this has been discussed here before?

Thanks,
David

[MikeB]

Well, my goodness, how can I pass this one up? #Hi David. #I wrote all the duets you can find right here in the Tablature secition. # Just before I started writing them, I was asking the same question you asked. #(Btw, Norman Blake is one of my heroes, too.)

My advice is to get a copy of Niles Hokkanen's Twin Mandolin book. # That's where I got started. # It's great. If you don't get it down from there, ask a few more questions and I'm sure we'll get you going. # Have fun!

[David]

Mike,
Thanks for the heads up on your duet work, I forgot those existed in the tab section. You've written arrangements for several tunes I do with my pickin' buddies: Whiskey, St. Anne's, and most recently Green Leaf Fancy. I'll check out the Hokkanen book and see what it has to offer. Muchas Gracias!