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Mac - How would you recommend I practice to start developing my ability to sing harmonies. Just start with singing the melody notes for a simple song with 3rds, and then use my guitar to find the 3rd higher, and sing along with the proper guitar notes ? - what other ways to best learn this ?



I recommend the same procedure as for learning how to improvise jazz and bebop stuff.

"Transcribe, Transcribe, Transcribe"

The above does not necessarily mean notes on paper, although for those who can it may serve them, but there are and have been plenty of great playing nonreaders and they too transcribe the works of others that sound like what it is they want to accomplish. Some of those nonreaders have developed phenomenal memories as well as phenomenal ears.

*Pick a song that is already recorded in which you dig the harmonies.

*Use your instrument to find out what notes are being sung. This may take some time, but time well spent that is slow the first time and gets to be faster and faster in process once you start doing it.

*Knowing the *exact* notes being sung is key to being able to sing them along with the other vocalists.

*Being able to "find" at least your starting note, on your instrument, is a good way to make darn good and sure you are going to nail that harmony when it is time. I will still pull that little trick from time to time when performing, whether playing guitar, trumpet or keyboard and being called upon to sing one of the background harmonies. Just try to not make it stick out that you are playing a note in order to sing a note. Often, one of the notes in a chord you are playing in the song will be the note you need to find, other times, you can add a fill or run that has that note in it (plus if the run can end on that note, eh?) and have a reference for those parts where it is hard to nail the entrance note.

*PRACTICE

Without a Mic.

Save the Mic for when it is needed. Sing in the air. Fill the room. Listen to hear your voice come bouncing off the back wall. Sometimes you have to start by sitting or standing in a corner, facing the corner. The sound bounces right back at both ears. Wonderful thing for the person who accompanies themselves on the acoustic guitar to do, you can hear *everything* you are doing or not doing when in that corner. (And is the only time I could ever really hear what that darned Ovation really sounded like while playing it. Those bowlbacks sound really great and full -- about twenty feet out in front of 'em -- not so much for the guy playin' it, who is behind all that focused sound. But the beer belly and the thing rollin' off the lap made my Ovation become history anyway.)

Inhale first, then sing using air to drive the cords with a relaxed and "open" throat. Never try to "pinch" notes out from the throat. When the air from the diaphragmatic muscle is being pushed properly and at high enough velocity to drive the vocal cords, you will hear a big ROUND sound. Sing correctly like that and avoid the kind of damage lots get into trouble with later, nodes on the cords that need surgical removal is not cool.


--Mac

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