The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #67901 Message #1137716
Posted By: JohnInKansas
16-Mar-04 - 02:00 AM
Thread Name: SPEBSQSA now 'Barbershop Harmony Society'
Subject: RE: Barbershop...
One of the distinctive features of much of barbershop singing is that since it is usually unaccompanied, at least in the traditional "quartet," the "natural" scale is just "naturally" used. It's one of the few places to hear "the old way" i.e. before the equi-tempered scale(s) came into almost universal use.
The "characteristic" and "defining" chord used in barbershop goes by the technical name of the "hair on the legs" harmony. When the voices all blend in perfect, natural harmonic relationship, you hear rich chords with "notes that aren't there," and the harmonics are enough to "make the little hairs quiver" all over.
It's something that can't be done on any fretted or keyed instrument. (Even ancient keyed instruments built to play harmonic scales will seldom "hit it.") A really good string quartet (of the chamber music sort) gets it occasionally, and you might do it with a trombone quartet; but for most of us it's a "forgotten" effect. But any 4 guys that "hang around the barbershop" and sing together enough to learn how to "fit together" can likely "raise the hairs" at least occasionally.
John