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Barbershop Harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterised by consonant four-part chords for
every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. The melody is consistently sung by the lead, the second
voice, with the tenor harmonising above the melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonising notes and the baritone
completing the chord, generally harmonising between the lead and the bass parts. The melody is not sung
by the tenor except for the infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags and codas, or
when some appropriate embellishing effect can be created. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer
than four voice parts.
Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies whose tones clearly define
a tonal centre and imply major and minor chords and Barbershop (dominant and secondary dominant) Seventh chords that resolve
primarily around the circle of fifths, while making frequent use of other resolutions. Barbershop music
also features a balanced and symmetrical form, and a standard metre. The basic song and it's harmonisation
are embellished by the arranger to provide support of the song's theme and to close the song effectively.
Barbershop singers adjust pitches to achieve perfectly tuned chords in just intonation while remaining true
to the established tonal centre, Artistic singing in the Barbershop style exhibits a fullness or expansion
of sound, precise intonation, a high degree of vocal skill and a high level of unity and consistency
within the ensemble. Ideally, these elements are natural, unmanufactured, and free from apparent effort.
The presentation of Barbershop music uses appropriate musical and visual methods to convey the theme of the
song and provide the audience with an emotionally satisfying and entertaining experience. The musical
and visual delivery is from the heart, believable and sensitive to the song and its arrangement throughout.
The most stylistic presentation artistically melds together the musical and visual aspects to create
and sustain the illusions suggested by the music.
Barbershop music can be performed by a chorus, consisting of nine or more member, or a quartet of four
members. In each ensemble, it is essential that all four harmony parts, lead, tenor, bass and baritone,
are represented and presented to an audience in a balanced form.
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