Harmony is two or more notes sung at once that sound right together. The tune is the part everyone knows; a harmony part sits above or below it and moves with it. Singing harmony is a skill like any other: it comes from hearing the part first, then holding it while something else plays.
Michael, Row the Boat Ashore · first line4 voices · 0:00 / 0:21
Synthesized guide voices, singing on "oo". In the app, real singers sing some of the parts.
Michael, Row the Boat Ashore's first line, "Michael, row the boat ashore, Hallelujah! Michael, row the boat ashore, Hallelujah!", in four parts: the soprano sings the tune, with the alto, tenor and bass under it. Your part is the Soprano. Press a voice to take it out of the harmony or bring it back.
Hear your part alone
Before you sing, listen to your part on its own until you could hum it. Most people find a harmony part hard only because they haven't heard it enough times by itself.
Sing it with only your part playing
Sing along with your part, quietly at first. You're learning the shape: where it goes up, where it holds, where it moves with the tune and where it doesn't.
Add the tune, softly
Now play the tune with your part, the tune quieter. This is the moment the tune pulls at you; it's normal. If you drift onto it, stop, listen to your part again, and come back in.
Turn your part down
As it settles, make your part quieter and the others louder, until you're holding it with the tune alone. That's harmony.
Stack your own voices
Record your part, then learn the next one and sing it over your own recording. Add the parts that suit your voice, one at a time, and the harmony grows around you.
- Start with songs that move slowly, and parts that stay close to the tune.
- Headphones help: you'll hear yourself and the others clearly.
- Little and often beats one long session.
Try it with a round or a simple two-part song first.