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Barbershop
Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied
vocal music characterized by consonant four-part
chords for every melody note in a predominantly
homophonic texture. The melody is consistently sung
by the lead, with the tenor harmonizing above the
melody, the bass singing the lowest harmonizing
notes, and the baritone completing the chord. The
melody is not sung by the tenor except for an
infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice
leading, in tags or 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 center 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. What sets
barbershop apart from other musical styles is the
predominant use of the dominant-type seventh chords.
Barbershop music also features a balanced and
symmetrical form, and a standard meter. The basic
song and its harmonization are embellished by the
arranger to provide appropriate 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 center.
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.
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