You mean you don’t bring instruments with you when you perform?
Nope!
Just our voices!
Want to learn how to do what we do? Check out these resources below:
A Few Organizations
Sweet Adelines International
Sweet Adelines International is a worldwide organization of women singers, established in 1945, committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education and performances. This independent, nonprofit music education association is one of the world’s largest singing organizations for women.
Barbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc., is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form.
Harmony, Inc
Harmony, Inc. is an international organization of women singers whose purpose is to empower all women through education, friendship and a cappella singing in the barbershop style. Founded by 1959 by Peggy Rigby, Charlotte Sneddon, Mary Avis Hedges, Jeanne Maino and Mary Perry in Providence, Rhode Island, the organization currently has just under 2000 members in the United States and Canada and is closely affiliated with the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Who Sings What?
Barbershop harmony is a style of four-part, unaccompanied singing, utilizing close-harmony and intuitive voice leading characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note. A barbershop quartet is a group of four singers who sing music in the barbershop genre of singing, which uses four-part harmony without accompaniment by any instruments such as piano, a style called a cappella.
Tenor
The tenor is the highest part that harmonizes above the melody, utilizing a falsetto/light head voice approach.
Lead
The lead is the melody singer, and in barbershop typically sings melodies which lie within the vocal and skill range of the average singer.
Baritone
The baritone sings above and below the lead, completing and filling out the consonant four-part chords.
Bass
The bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, serving as the foundation of the quartet.
How do I start?
There are tons of great opportunities to begin singing!
Besides attending one of our shows or education classes:
Find your local chapter chorus as a guest and get to know the community.
Gather three other friends to learn Tags.
Join Facebook or Meetup Groups specifically for barbershop in your area.
We look forward to singing with you!