Stackapella Open the app

A Plus course · 16 lessons

Make up a part.

Hear a tune and sing a second part to it on the spot, above or below, without copying it. Every harmony note starts lit, then the lights fade, until you're making it up by ear.

  • 16 lessons, 2 to 4 minutes each
  • About 55 minutes in all
  • Best with headphones

Try the first lesson free See the lessons

By the end, you can

  1. Sing a part above a tune: the next chord tone up.

  2. Sing a part below, and rescue yourself when it rubs: hold, then step.

  3. Choose any note of the chord, and move against the tune.

  4. Harmonise with no lights at all, even a high tenor above the lead.

The next chord tone up

The simplest harmony is the tune's next chord tone up. Over most notes that's a third. Over so it's a fourth, because the third above so, ti, rubs against the chord.

It's the real folk and bluegrass tenor rule, and it leads straight to any chord tone. Lost? Hold your note until it rubs, then step.

Over most notes A third up: over mi, sing so.
Over so A fourth up, to do: ti would rub.

From lights to no lights

  1. Every note lit Each harmony note lights up on the lane, so you learn the shape.

  2. Lights fading The lights fade over a line, and you carry on by ear.

  3. You choose Every note of the chord lights up, and you pick one.

  4. Lights off Only the chords are left. The part is yours.

From a part above to a trio of you

4 units, 16 lessons

  1. Stage 1Unit 1

    A part above

    A third above, why so takes a fourth, harmony or the tune, and Home on the Range.

    1. A part above Free
    2. Major and minor thirds
    3. Third or fourth?
    4. Harmony or the tune?
    5. A new tune

  2. Stage 2Unit 2

    Below, and holding on

    A part below, hold then step off, answering in harmony, and Steal Away.

    1. A part below
    2. Hold, then step off
    3. Answer in harmony
    4. Under and over

  3. Stage 3Unit 3

    Any chord tone

    The chord's three notes, close then against, and your own harmony to Swing Low.

    1. Sing the chord
    2. Close, then against
    3. Your harmony

  4. Stage 4Unit 4

    No lights

    Lights at the changes, lights off, a tenor above in Simple Gifts, and a trio of you.

    1. Lights when you need them
    2. Lights off
    3. The tenor above
    4. A trio of you

Try this now: a part above

You need the tune playing while you sing: a recording of yourself works.

  1. Record yourself singing the first line of Michael, Row the Boat Ashore.
  2. Play it back, and on the long notes, "row" and "shore", hum a little higher than the tune until it sounds sweet with it: about a third up.
  3. If you find yourself on the tune's own note, hold yours and listen: harmony sounds like two notes at once.
  4. Lost? Hold your note until it rubs, then step.

Lesson 1 lights every harmony note on the lane above the tune, then plays your part with the tune: Hear it together.

What the app listens for

It checks each note of your harmony against the notes that fit, with the lights on, only at the chord changes, or off, and says when the tune pulled you onto its note. Whether the chord rings is for your ears.

Up to three stars and XP for your harmony's notes, and some lessons also ask that you never copied the tune.The same take shows its measure plainly, like "76% on pitch", with no stars or XP.

The first lesson's card: sing the tune's next chord tone up, mostly a third and a fourth over so, best with headphones. The first lesson's card: sing the tune's next chord tone up, mostly a third and a fourth over so, best with headphones.
The part above Michael, Row the Boat Ashore on the note lane, every harmony note lit with its word. The part above Michael, Row the Boat Ashore on the note lane, every harmony note lit with its word.

About harmony singing

Who it's for

  • Singers who can learn a written part but freeze when asked to make one up.
  • Anyone who sings along with friends, at church or round a campfire, and wants to add a harmony.
  • Choir singers who want to hear where their part fits in the chord.

What you need

  • Headphones, wired or one ear off: on a speaker, the tune rests while you sing.
  • A quiet spot and a few minutes a day.
  • No reading music: the notes that fit light up on the lane.

Singing it safely

  • Stop if anything tightens or hurts, and don't sing when you're hoarse.
  • Above a loud tune, go lighter rather than strain to match it.
  • The tune plays under your voice; wired or one-ear headphones help you hear yourself.

The songs

  • Michael, Row the Boat Ashore Traditional, public domain
  • Home on the Range Traditional, 1870s, public domain (the chorus)
  • Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Spiritual, published 1872, public domain (the chorus)
  • Red River Valley Traditional, 1870s, public domain
  • The harmony lines Written for the course

Questions

How long does it take?

16 lessons of 2 to 4 minutes each, about 55 minutes in all.

What if I keep singing the tune?

That's the most common pull, and the app says when the tune pulled you onto its note. Headphones help. Lost? Hold your note until it rubs, then step.

Do I need to know chords?

No. The notes that fit light up, and the course teaches the three notes of a chord as you go.

Is it safe for my voice?

Yes. Above a loud tune, go lighter rather than strain to match it. Stop if anything tightens or hurts, and don't sing when you're hoarse. It isn't a substitute for a teacher.

What does it cost?

The first lesson is free, with no account needed. The rest of the course is part of Plus. Saving your progress takes a free account.

Find your part

On Plus, with the first lesson free.

No account needed to try it. Saving your progress takes a free account.

Try the first lesson free See Plus

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