Barbershop is a style of music using close, four-part harmony without instrumental accompaniment (A Capella). The melody is carried in the second part, called the lead. The tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the low notes, and the baritone sings the "other harmony," sometimes above and sometimes below the melody. It's a uniquely American art form, with its roots in turn-of-the-century America. |
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"The Old Songs" with smooth melodies and natural harmony were written in the heyday of Tin Pan Alley, from 1890 to 1920, and are best suited for barbershop harmony. These were songs about the simple pleasures and emotions of life that the average singer could sing easily. |
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Beginning in the small town barbershops, country stores,
and churches of America, it wasn't long before the
male quartet became a standard act in vaudeville shows and other musical entertainments. Recordings of popular quartets in the early decades of the 20th century form the heart of barbershop music as we know it today, a style that still delights the performer as well as the listener. |
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