Harmony Singing By Ear
Frequently Asked Questions
Harmony Singing By Ear:
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I'm not sure what my vocal range is so I don't know if I can use the CDs.
Listen to and try to sing along with the "Isolated Vocal Parts" sound sample for "Bring It On Home To Me" on the main detail page. The upper and lower harmony parts for this song are in a range very similar to the other songs, with the exception of "Walk Away Renee" which goes a bit higher. If the parts are outside your range see the next question.
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I'm a bass or baritone and those vocal ranges seem too high for me, can I still use the CDs?
You can, with some modifications. The upper harmony instruction and sung vocal parts are all in alto range and sometimes will be too high for you. If you are comfortable singing along with those parts an octave lower you can still learn a lot about harmonizing. Doing that you will end up singing all of the harmonies as lower harmonies, that is, harmonies below the melody. If you want to work on upper harmonies these CDs will not work for you since the melodies are all in alto range. The lower harmonies taught on CDs #2 and #3, with the exception of Walk Away Renee, all fall in a baritone range. There is some instruction on the CDs about singing an octave below, and you can also try to sing an octave below the "Isolated Vocal Parts" sampler on the on the sound sample page to see if that works for you.
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What are parallel harmonies?
Parallel harmonies are the most common kind of harmony you'll hear in contemporary music. The Eagles, Destiny's Child, CSN&Y, N'Sync, the Everly Brothers, The Dixie Chicks, and the Beatles all sing parallel harmonies. Parallel harmony is when one or more voices follow the shape of the melody but stay above or below the melody.
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I can't hold a tune at all, will this help me?
You need to be able to hold a melody to successfully use these CDs. If you can't do that you'd be better off first working your ear with the The No Scales, Just Songs
Vocal Workout
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I can't pan the speakers on my stereo, can I still use the CDs?
Yes, but you won't be able to isolate specific vocal parts. Inexpensive CD players like Walkmans with headphones could be used instead.
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Everytime I try to harmonize I end up singing someone else's part. Will this help me?
Yes--because you can pan your speakers to hear more or less of the other vocal parts, at first you can 'dial in' more of (or only) your part. Once you are confident with your part you can gradually add more of the other voice or voices so that your ear learns how to hear one part while you sing another.
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I can find and sing upper harmonies just fine, but not lower ones. Will this help?
Yes--The latter half focuses on finding and singing lower harmonies.
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I can't read music and I don't know a thing about music theory.
The CDs cover the music theory you need to know for harmonizing, and it's all by ear. No note reading is required.
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Several of us want to work on this together and then sing our parts without guide vocals.
Music tracks without vocals are included so you can practice any and all parts on your own. One of you will need to sing the melody while the others sing the harmony parts. The starting notes for all the parts are in the CD booklet.
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I've used Susan Anders' No Scales Just Songs Vocal Workout and I recognize some of these songs. Are these the same versions with harmonies added?
The music tracks for six of the eight songs are also on either Volumes One or Two of the Alto/Bass versions of the Vocal Workout. The melody and harmony vocals are new.
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Can I use this in the car?
Yes, but you might have difficulty if you want to pan your speakers or repeat instructional sections while driving.
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Is this something children can use?
Young people age ten and up can benefit from Harmony Singing By Ear. The earlier singers learn harmony singing the easier it is. However, some younger people may not have the patience to sit through the theory and instructional sections. These singers can still improve their harmonizing skills by learning the individual harmony parts and then singing them with the 3-part tracks.
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Can you give me more details on how to use the CDs?
Here is a reprint from the CD booklet on how to use "Harmony Singing by Ear":
Listen to and become familiar with the melody of whichever song you are about to harmonize before learning the harmony part. To do that, go to the track + upper harmony (UH) vocal of each song on CD #1 and pan the balance knob of your speakers to the left so you just hear the melody and music. If you don't have a speaker balance knob you can focus on the speaker playing the melody, not the harmony part. Make any marks on the lyrics (like up and down arrows to indicate melodies going up or down) if that helps you remember the melody.
Listen and sing along with the instructional tracks. When you work with the music tracks, pan your speakers to the left or right to hear as much or as little of your part as you want. Your goal is to be able to sing your part with the speaker panned to the far left so you don't have a guide vocal to follow.
If you just want to learn the harmony parts: skip the instruction tracks, play the music tracks panned to the right to hear and learn your part. Then sing with the track, panning your speakers to the left or right to hear as much or as little of your part as you want.
Work your way straight through the three CDs, learning how to do upper, then lower harmonies. Skip the music-only tracks at the end of CD #3 unless you want to practice any harmony part with the music alone, or if you want to sing lead with them.
If two or more of you are working with the CDs there are several ways they can be used:
Method #1: All singers work their way straight through the three CDs, learning and singing the same part. This is good for very beginning harmony singers.
Method #2: One singer learns the upper harmony parts while the other learns the melody or lower harmony parts. A third singer can learn the remaining part. Once you have leaned a two or three-part vocal arrangement you can practice it with the music-only tracks at the end of CD #3.
If higher (alto or soprano) and lower (tenor or baritone) singers are working together,
you can use Method #2, or you can both start with learning the upper harmony on CD #1. If you do the latter arrangement the lower singer sings the upper harmony an octave below the higher singer. How to do this is explained on CD#1, track 8.
If your vocal ranges allow, you may want to learn different harmony positions on different songs to hear how they work with each other.
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Can I see a list of all the tracks?
Here they are, the abbreviations are: M=melody, UH=upper harmony, UUH=upper upper harmony, LH=lower harmony
CD #1
Track 1: Introduction & scale theory
Track 2: Chord theory
-- Chapel of Love UH
Track 3: Harmonizing theory & measuring
Track 4: The scale vs. triad ditty
Track 5: Harmonizing 'Chapel of Love'
Track 6: 'Chapel' refrain
Track 7: Music: 2-part 'Chapel'--M on left, UH on right
Track 8: Singing a part an octave lower
-- Chapel of Love UUH
Track 9: Measuring, finding an upper-upper harmony (UUH)
Track 10: Finding UUH of 'Chapel'
Track 11: Music: 3-part 'Chapel'--M & UH on left, UUH on right
-- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) UH
Track 12: Harmonizing 'Sweet Dreams'
Track 13: Slow 'Sweet Dreams' Verse Two
Track 14: Music: 2-part 'Sweet Dreams'--M on left, UH on right
Track 15: Inversions theory
-- I Can See Clearly Now UH
Track 16: Harmonizing 'Clearly' line one
Track 17: Harmonizing 'Clearly' lines two through four -- Call-response harmonies
Track 18: Slow Verse Two of 'Clearly'
Track 19: Music: 2-part 'Clearly'--M on left, UH on right
--Angel From Montgomery UH
Track 20: Harmonizing 'Angel' Verse One
Track 21: Harmonizing 'Angel' Chorus
Track 22: Slow 'Angel' Verse Two and Chorus
Track 23: Music: 2-part 'Angel'--M on left, UH on right
-- Bring It On Home UH
Track 24: Harmonizing 'Bring It' Verse One lines one & two
Track 25: Harmonizing 'Bring It' lines three & four
Track 26: Slow 'Bring It' Verse Three
Track 27: Music: 2-part 'Bring It'--M on left, UH on right
CD #2
-- Centerpiece UH
Track 1: Verse One line one -- blue notes
Track 2: Verse One lines two through four -- the 7th or octave choice
Track 3: Slow 'Centerpiece' Verse Two
Track 4: Music: 2-part 'Centerpiece'--M on left, UH on right
Track 5: Conclusion to first UH section
Track 6: Lower Harmonies Introduction
Track 7: Measuring down
-- Chapel of Love LH
Track 8: Finding the LH on 'Chapel' refrain
Track 9: Slow Chapel
Track 10: Music: 3-part 'Chapel'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) LH
Track 11: Verse One 'Sweet Dreams' -- 3rd to 4th movement
Track 12: 'Sweet Dreams' lines two through four
Track 13: Slow Verse Two 'Sweet Dreams'
Track 14: Music: 3-part 'Sweet Dreams'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Can See Clearly Now LH
Track 15: 'Clearly' Introduction -- Call-response
Track 16: Harmonizing 'Clearly' Verse One
Track 17: Slow Verse Two of 'Clearly'
Track 18: Music: 3-part 'Clearly'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Angel From Montgomery LH
Track 19: Harmonizing 'Angel' Verse One first half
Track 20: 'Angel' Verse One second half
Track 21: Harmonizing 'Angel' Chorus
Track 22: Slow 'Angel' Verse Two and Chorus
Track 23: Music: 3-part 'Angel'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Bring It On Home To Me LH
Track 24: Harmonizing 'Bring It' Verse One lines one & two
Track 25: 'Bring It' Verse One lines three & four
Track 26: Slow 'Bring It' Verse Three
Track 27: Music: 3-part 'Bring It'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Centerpiece LH
Track 28: 'Centerpiece' Verse One lines one & two
Track 29: 'Centerpiece' Verse One lines three through six
Track 30: Slow 'Centerpiece' Verse Two
Track 31: Music: 3-part 'Centerpiece'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- One of Us UH
Track 32: 'One of Us' Intro to block chord harmonies
Track 33: 'One of Us' Verse
CD #3
Track 1: 'One of Us' Verse 2nd half
Track 2: 'One of Us' Pre-chorus: Call-response, 9th chords
Track 3: 'One of Us' Chorus: Parallel harmony
Track 4: Slow 'One of Us' Pre-chorus and Chorus Two
Track 5: Music: 2-part 'One of Us'--M on left, UH on right
-- One of Us LH
Track 6: 'One of Us' Verse: Block chord harmonies
Track 7: 'One of Us' Pre-chorus: Call-response
Track 8: 'One of Us' Chorus: Parallel harmony
Track 9: Slow 'One of Us' Pre-chorus and Chorus Two
Track 10: Music: 3-part 'One of Us'--M & UH on left, LH on right
-- Walk Away Renee UH
Track 11: 'Renee' Verse: Chromatic harmonies
Track 12: 'Renee' Chorus: Parallel harmony
Track 13: Slow 'Renee' Verse and Chorus Two
Track 14: Music: 2-part 'Renee'--M on left, UH on right
-- Walk Away Renee LH
Track 15: 'Renee' Verse: Block chord harmonies above the M
Track 16: 'Renee' Chorus: -- Parallel harmony below the M
Track 17: Slow 'Renee' Verse and Chorus Two
Track 18: Music: 3-part 'Renee'--M & UH on left, LH on right
Track 19: Polishing Your Harmony Part
-- Supplementary Exercises
Track 20: Measuring Up
Track 21: Measuring Down
Track 22: Measuring Up Part 2
Track 23: Measuring Down
Track 24: Hearing the 3rd to 4th Adjustment
--Music-only Tracks and Starting Notes
Track 25: Chapel of Love -- LH=F, M=Bb, UH=D, UUH=F
Track 26: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) -- LH=B, M=D, UH=F#
Track 27: I Can See Clearly Now -- LH=G, M=C, UH=E
Track 28: Angel From Montgomery -- LH=B, M=D#, UH=F#
Track 29: Bring It On Home To Me -- LH=A, M=C#, UH=E
Track 30: Centerpiece -- LH=F#, M=B, UH=D
Track 31: One of Us -- LH=G, M=G, UH=E
Track 32: Walk Away Renee -- M=C#, LH=E (above M) UH=A
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If you have any other questions please write to Susan
Harmony Singing By Ear:
3 CDs $24.95
Free shipping |
|
For orders outside the US and Canada please order using the buttons below:
Harmony Singing By Ear:
3 CDs
$24.95 ($5 International s/h) |
|
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