A comparison of barbershop and classical singing : selected crossover vocal techniques for the curious performer

Abstract

The barbershop style of singing offers many tools to enhance the knowledge and skills of the classically trained singer. And the barbershop singer can learn from the training a classical singer would receive at a music school or in private lessons. By studying both forms of singing, a performer can expand his or her arsenal of ways to express and communicate an idea. The African American historical roots of barbershop singing and European historical traditions of classical opera singing can commingle to help modern day classical performers gain beneficial skills, especially concerning improvisation. A newcomer to barbershop singing may discover that singing techniques already learned in classical singing can be utilized in barbershop singing as well. The techniques of overtone reinforcement and vowel matching used in barbershop singing can aid the classical singer’s understanding of intonation, resonance, and beauty of sound. Through experimentation with the voice parts in barbershop, a classically trained singer can discover and narrow the determination of his or her own voice type, thus empowering him or her to choose repertoire better suited to his or her voice. Many performance practices from the classical bel canto school of singing are transferable to barbershop, and vice versa. A classical singer can learn performance-enhancing techniques from barbershop coaches and judges in competitions. By investigating historical roots and current practices of both classical and barbershop singing, a singer can gain enlightening concepts for the improvement of his or her performance craft.