country style vocal harmonies

theshadow2001 · #1 10-27-2006, 04:05 PM

Maybe this isn't the best forum to ask this question but it will probably reap the best results.

To my ear there seems to be a vocal harmony or harmonies that seems to be used commonly in country style music. Since Im not a country fan the only example I can give you is the song "man of constant sorrow" from the o brother where art though. It's hard to describe it's a case of if i could hear it I would jump out of my seat and say yes! thats exactly what im talking about but it's difficult to describe since I can't think of more examples. So the question is how are these typical harmonies constructed, what intervals are used and so forth.

Steve · #2 10-29-2006, 06:21 AM

google: singing close harmony

keep in mind that despit what you may think about country music, those people can flat out sing their fanny's off and that has a lot to do with it.

http://www.rhapsody.com/country/trad...mony/more.html

theshadow2001 · #3 10-31-2006, 03:56 PM

I did a search and I could only get books and papers that I had to sign up for or buy. Your link seems only to work for those in the US.

The only thing I really found out about close harmony was that the intervals are usually in the same register.

I suppose what I'm really asking is. Are there certain intervals used regulary in country vocal harmonies or do the backing vocalist sing to form certain chord structures that sort define the sound as a country harmony. Like the 12 bar I IV V progression straight away points to stereotypical blues (although it's not the only way to play blues) or that seventh chord that you hear commonly in barbershop that instantly puts the stamp of barbershop on what your hearing.

Or am I way off is it just because the artists have their southern accents that make it sound country.

Because Im not a fan of the genre per say doesn't mean to say I don't appreciate the talent of the players. There is certain country stuff I would have time for and would listen to but I just haven't come across a whole lot of it.

AGCurry · #4 11-01-2006, 08:19 AM

The Stanley Brothers, who first recorded Man of Constant Sorrow, used a certain technique quite a bit.

That technique is to slide the two harmonies so that one resolves to the root of the chord and the other lands on the root of the next chord.

e.g., on the word "I" in the phrase "the place where I was borned and raised":
If we're in the key of C, the chord will be a G7. The melody note is a G. The lower harmony starts on an F (the seventh of the chord) and slides to a G. The higher harmony starts on a B natural (the third of the chord) and slides to a C, which is NOT in the chord but strongly anticipates the resolution to the C chord.

I don't know if there's a name for this. I call it "Stanley Brothers."