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History of Barbershop

What is Barbershop Harmony and How Did it All Begin?

Barbershop harmony is a style of unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a primarily homorhythmic​ (the same word sounds at the same time)​ texture. The melody is consistently sung by the lead​ (second tenor). The (first) tenor ​​harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord. Barbershop harmony is rooted in African-American traditions of the late 1800s in the South.