I guess this might be more of a singing topic, but I've been hearing alot of vocal harmonies in music and I was just wondering on how you do something like that, is it something you can do by ear off the fly or do you have to plan it out? is it something that someone like myself, who isn't a professional singer (but can sing, decently, or so i've been told), can do? Any tips or links on how to write vocal melodies would be great.
Steve-0
Vocal harmony is just like any other harmony. One person sings one note, while other people sing other notes. You could ad lib it if you wanted, but will get a better-organized result when you actually compose a harmony. If you can manage to sing the right note when someone else is singing their note, then you can do it.
Alright, thanks , that's what I thought. I'd imagine more experienced singers can ad lib it but people like myself (with no serious vocal training) would probably have to plan it out or something (or just sing and hope it hits the right note).
Steve-0
Just imagine the vocal melody being played with chords instead of single notes. One person, usually the lead singer, sings the root, and others sing 3rds, 5ths, and octaves. If you can hear the relative 5th of a note, for example, you can do harmonies on the fly.
