Harmony Singing
One of the greatest sounds in music is two or more voices singing in harmony. This means more than one note being sung at the same time. Harmony can range from a melody harmonized with a single interval to a whole choir singing many different notes together.
The simplest form of harmony involves a second voice following the melody using a particular interval. The most common intervals used for harmonizing melodies are major and minor thirds. The second voice simply sings a third interval above every note of the melody line. Here is the C major scale harmonized in thirds. All the harmony notes come from the scale itself.
Here is a melody in the key of C harmonized in thirds.
If the person singing the harmony part has a lower voice range than the person singing the melody, an interval of a sixth below the melody may be used. The notes are then the same notes as for a third above the melody, but each one is an octave lower.
Harmonies sung in 3rds and 6ths sound great on simple songs in both major and minor keys. Many people learn to sing these harmonies by ear, without needing to refer to sheet music. Listen to this song on the recording and try imitating the harmony by ear. Then sing it along with the recording Try to absorb the sound of the harmony. If this harmony is too high for your voice, try singing it an octave lower.
Here is Banks of the Ohio again, this time with the harmony part written above the melody. This harmony mostly consists of 3rd intervals above the melody, but in bar 6, the harmony voice changes to a 5th above the melody (on the second beat of the triplet). Then in bar 8 the harmony voice departs from 3rds again and sings several different intervals above the melody, before returning to 3rds on the last note of bar 12. These other notes all come from the chords which the band is playing to accompany the melody.
