I tend to listen to the melody, and the chords if someone is playing them, and then I try to find what's missing, and what fits. I'm not a terriffically visual person (some of us legally bind folks are, surprisingly, but I am not one) I have always wanted to find the harmony that added some beauty to a piece. To me, there are times when it just needs to be there. I do find it difficult to fit in a harmony when someone else has gotten there first (three parts) Any tricks folks have learned?

Interestingly, I also find that there are times when I really don't want harmony to be there, when I think that the unison is almost more powerful. I sing with a wonderful natural tenor who does not read, and although I love harmonizing with him, our voices in unison on certain things are great. We do a song called The Blue and the Gray, and the verses are gorgeous in unison. We harmonize on the choruses, but never the verses. We also do Song of A Thousand Years, and the first line of the chorus needs to be unison, like a very7 fierce trumpet, then harmony is ok.

I wonder how many of us "natural harmonizers" grew up in families where round singing was part of the culture? How about hymns? I have a hard time in church now, as my Dad (who died two weeks ago) always sang the base line and I miss it a lot. Mom and I would also try to hack out the alto, but I do not do as well with written harmonies.

I too like this thread.

Susan