Barbershop Basics

Mixed gender choral music is typically scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB). The melody is usually carried by the soprano part while the other parts provide harmony in equal balance. Barbershop music is distinctive in that the melody is carried by the second voice. The four voice parts in women’s barbershop retain the names of the original male voice parts: tenor, lead, baritone and bass. In barbershop harmony, three harmony parts revolve around a melody. The lead sings the melody the vast majority of the time. The tenor harmonizes mostly above the melody, the bass harmonizes mostly well below the melody, and the baritone weaves above and below the melody.

The average female voice falls in the lead/baritone range -- approximately the A below middle C to the C above middle C. Tenors should be able to reach a high G or A and basses should be able to sing the E flat below middle C comfortably. The tenor’s vocal quality should be light and pure unlike the heavy soprano sound featured in some types of choral singing.

Barbershop singers strive for an open and freely produced sound without vibrato in order to “lock and ring” their chords. This happens when the four sung tones lock together and reinforce each other so as to produce a fifth tone – heard as a ringing overtone or an undertone. When a chord “rings,” the sound expands, creating a powerful sensation in both the singers and audience!

Here’s a good way to think of the distinctive character of each of the four parts.

Leads: Personality
You are the reason people come to the show. You carry the melody with authority and are the part they want to hear. Strong, clear and warm like a diamond on a velvet pillow, you bring the song to life

Basses: Engine
Basses bring sustenance to the sound. You are the barbershop ENGINE that keeps everything else going. Smooth as glass, there is never a bump in your sound. Basses have power (and lots of humor)!

Baritones: Dignity
Your intervals may seem odd but you are the Mercedes Benz of barbershop. Bringing dignity to your singing, you add a richness and depth to the ensemble sound. You are the mortar that holds the lead and bass bricks together.

Tenors: Sparkle
You are the icing on the cake, the paintjob on the Lamberghini, the touch of grace that puts a sparkle in the performance. With your focused, bell-like sound you lightly shimmer, ever present in every chord.