Some legendary singers have such powerful lead voices or idiosyncratic styles that learning to harmonise simply wasn’t necessary – think Liam Gallagher and Bob Dylan.
They tend to be the exception. For most people attempting to become a singer, knowing how to harmonise is a fantastically beneficial skill that makes for a considerably more versatile musician.
Here’s a breakdown of what it entails and how it’s done well.
Put simply, harmonising occurs when two or more notes are played or sung at once. The melody is the lead part – and usually the one people sing along with – while harmonies are sung at different notes alongside the melody to add depth and richness.
A simple two-part harmony features the melody and only one accompanying harmony, but there can be any number. For example, here’s a snippet of No Scrubs breaking down the melody and harmonies.
Singing harmony comes instinctively to a lucky few, but most people learning to sing find that it takes plenty of practice for harmonising to become second nature.
You’ll always need to put in the time and effort, but following the right advice can smooth out the path ahead. We’ve put together some valuable tips on harmonising with help from singing teachers Laura Ratcliffe and James Hall.
1. Learn your scales.
Being able to read and recognise every note in a scale – and sing them on demand – can be a big help when you’re learning to harmonise. Harmonisation either a third above or below the note of the melody is most common in contemporary Western music; you may have a melody in the key of C with the harmony a third above in E.
“I encourage my students to get a good foundation of their major and minor scales and be able to sing them on demand,” Ratcliffe says. “This is one of the most useful foundation skills for harmony, as chords are built on intervals of scales.”
That said, Ratcliffe and Hall agree that this knowledge is helpful rather than essential. “Having a ‘good ear’ is crucial, and many singers can harmonise not knowing anything theoretical about the music,” Hall says.
“We have lots of games in the Singers Club workbook Musicality, which offers a playful way of building harmonies and the skill set without having to read music,” Ratcliffe says. “So it can be done!”
2. Home in on the harmony.
One of the biggest challenges of singing harmony is resisting the natural inclination to follow the melody, jumping or drifting to the same note and then singing in unison with your lead rather than harmonising. One of the best ways to overcome that tendency is by starting with the harmony part on your own.
Treat the harmony line as if you’re singing melody, getting used to the sound and growing in confidence. Properly blending with the melody should feel more natural once you’ve got that down, especially when first learning how to harmonise a melody.
3. Slowly blend it with the melody.
Once you’re confident singing the harmony line by yourself, it’s time to get used to singing it in relation to the melody.
Here’s where a singing partner comes in handy. Have them sing the melody as you harmonise, practicing slowly note by note with a metronome and gradually increasing the tempo until you reach your chosen song’s actual tempo.
No singing partner? Try using an app to:
- Isolate parts of a song so you can practise harmonising
- See real-time visual feedback on your pitch
- Loop your own singing so you can perform both melody and harmony (as MaryAnne Muglia does here)
“Any app where you can layer up your own vocal lines is super useful for experimenting with making harmonies,” Ratcliffe says.
4. Listen actively.
Next time you’re enjoying your favourite songs, try actively listening to the harmony part rather than the melody. That tends to be easiest during the chorus, but you could also try a duet with a female singing lead and a male singing harmony (or vice versa) since it’s generally easier to distinguish between voices that sound different from each other.
“Just listen more carefully to the songs you love; they have so much in them when it comes to vocal harmony!” Ratcliffe says. “I was brought up with bluegrass music, and I highly recommend it. It’s all about close harmonies with heavy gospel influences. The songs are magic and the harmonies are so wonderful!”
As you get the hang of picking out the harmony parts, you can start trying to sing along with the backing vocals rather than the lead. It’s a great way to develop confidence and experience by yourself.
5. Join a choir.
Hymns, traditional folk, and country songs are great when you’re learning to harmonise, since their roots are so firmly planted in the type of group singing that makes it easier for singers to focus on separate vocals.
As such, any ensemble singing experience is a major boon to a fledgling singer. “I always recommend joining a choir,” Hall says.
Singing harmony in a group is ideal when you’re still a little shaky since you can use the voice of other singers in your section as a guide. Over time, your own skills will develop until you find yourself having to follow others less and less. As an added plus, choirs can be a wonderful place to meet singing partners for further practice.
6. Start simple.
Learn to walk before trying to run. Yes, more complex and challenging arrangements can be tempting, but tackling something like Bohemian Rhapsody’s quick shifts in tempo and style or the infamously tricky close harmonies of the Beach Boys is not the best place to begin.
Instead, beginners should practice with songs like:
- Lean on Me by Bill Withers: It features a slow tempo and predictable structure with simple harmonies most commonly a simple third above the melody.
- Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley: This song uses a simple chord progression and slow pace with the most common harmony a third above the melody.
- Follow Me by Uncle Kracker: This incredibly simple song (both in terms of vocals and for those learning the guitar) also uses a harmony an easy third above the melody.
- All the Small Things by Blink-182: On the famous “na-na, na-na” chorus lines, Mark Hoppus’ vocal harmony lands a major third below Tom DeLonge’s lead melody.
There’ll be plenty of time for more challenging pieces once you’ve mastered the basics. “You can sing along to yourself live, improvising harmonies, and even research extended jazz chords and extend your harmony choices and options,” Hall says.
Ratcliffe also points to jazz for more advanced students. “Study jazz! Literally study the chords being used in jazz songs, break them down. Your brain may explode!”
