Harmony parts

[TEE]

If I wanted to practice tenor singing unaccompanied and say the song is in the key of G. If I moved the song up to the key of B and sang there would not that be the tenor key? I realise I would not be harmonizing with anyone but it would stretch the vocal chords to the right key right?

[Alex Fields]

Not exactly because there are four more sharps in B than in G, and hence four of the notes in B are not in G. What you'd be doing by singing in B is singing a major third above every note in G...what you actually want to do is sing either a major or minor third above each note depending on which one gets you a scale tone. So if the melody note is G, then yeah the harmony would be B, but if the melody note is A, the harmony is C, and not C sharp, because there is no C sharp in the key of G--but there is in B so if you sang it that way you'd be singing out of key.

Hope that makes sense...

[TEE]

Thanks, Mr Fields- That makes sence. I didn't think about the mismatch in sharps and flats.

[mandroid]

If you look at the song books in church, there are 4 notes, 2 in each staff.
those are offering a 4 part harmony for each note of the melody.

from the top

Mnemonically, SATBB: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, [and below that bass]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_ranges

[Mike Bunting]

Write the G scale and over it write the G scale, only starting on the B

B C D E F# G A B
G A B C D E F# G

this will give you the G scale in thirds. Count up another third, to D and repeat. Here you have triads. You can do this with any scale to figure out chords etc.

[ssternlight]

Write the G scale and over it write the G scale, only starting on the B

B C D E F# G A B
G A B C D E F# G

this will give you the G scale in thirds. Count up another third, to D and repeat. Here you have triads. You can do this with any scale to figure out chords etc.

Thank for this. It's nice and simple.

[TEE]

Thanks everyone-very helpful and good to know.

[Chip Booth]

Too simple I'm afraid, at least if you want to develop a true harmony.

You must also be aware that simply singing a third higher than the melody may result in some funky sounds when the melody note is the fifth of the current chord. In that case you end up singing a 7th to the current chord. Might work some, but not all of the time. My rule of thumb is that when a melody note is a chord tone then the harmony notes should also be a chord tone, and that means you may or may not be following the simple rule of sing a third above the melody.

Chip

[Mike Bunting]

[QUOTE]Too simple I'm afraid, at least if you want to develop a true harmony. #

You must also be aware that simply singing a third higher than the melody may result in some funky sounds when the melody note is the fifth of the current chord. #In that case you end up singing a 7th to the current chord. #Might work some, but not all of the time. #My rule of thumb is that when a melody note is a chord tone then the harmony notes should also be a chord tone, and that means you may or may not be following the simple rule of sing a third above the melody.

Chip

Yes, I posted mainly to illustrate chord harmony and why you can't sing in the key of B to sing harmony to the key of G, not clearly enough obviously. Niles Hokkanen's "Twin Mandolin" illustrates melodic harmony very well.

[Chip Booth]

Mike, I completely understand what your post was about, and you did a good job of answering the original poster's question. #

I just didn't want a casual reader to think that was all that was required to create a true harmony in a key (which is not what the OP asked). #I've had way too many people say to me "just sing the third above to be in harmony" when it isn't clearly that simple.

Chip