Harmonies are one of the most enjoyable parts of singing. There's nothing better than the feeling of joining multiple voices together to create a beautiful unified sound. For singers who are looking to work on their harmonies, It can sometimes be difficult to find good songs for harmonizing.
In this article we share some of the best songs for vocal harmonies that you can use to practice with your fellow singers.
The Mamas & Papas - California Dreamin'
California Dreamin' is a classic song of the 60s psychedelic era, and weaves dreamy tapestries of sound through the use of multiple voices. This song is incredibly fun to practice, and features both female and male voices making it easy to adapt for whatever voices you have available in your practice session.
As well as wonderful layered vocal harmonies, California Dreamin' also makes use of call and response vocals in the chorus and verse sections. As the song progresses, the vocal lines continue to evolve and overlap each other, with the final few lines of the song being performed almost as a round. Try this song in your next vocal practice session for an exciting and fun challenge!
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence
Next up on our list of best songs for vocal harmonies we take things in a more somber direction with Simon & Garfunkels The Sound of Silence. This is another iconic track from the 60s that captured the spirit of the times with its bittersweet and hazy atmosphere.
What makes this song so good for harmonizing is that the vocals are singing together throughout the whole of the song, which is fairly rare in such a big hit such as this. The vocal harmonies sung are also fairly challenging, so you will have to take expert care of your intonation if you are singing the harmony part. We recommend taking your time with this song, becoming comfortable with the notes and intonation of the harmony first before attempting a full practice.
ABBA - Waterloo
No list of songs with amazing vocal harmonies would be complete without mentioning ABBA. There are many songs that would have been a good fit for this list but, we think that Waterloo is perhaps the most fun for practicing your vocal harmonies.
As with many ABBA songs, the harmonies are most heavily utilized in the chorus sections, however Waterloo does require some harmonies in the second verse. ABBA combines male and female voices for their songs so this is another good option if you have a mix of genders in your practice session. For an interesting exercise, try swapping parts with your practice partner mid-way through the song.
Alice In Chains - No Excuses
Alice In Chains are mostly known for creating heavy grunge music, but as their career progressed they explored softer and more atmospheric musical territory. Their 1994 song No Excuses perfectly encapsulates this era of their musical exploration.
No Excuses features voices singing in harmony throughout, with the harmony part following the lead vocal and providing a major third harmony. The song is sung with a slightly country twang, and despite the eerie subject matter, the voices combine together to create a sound which is uplifting and powerful. You can use this song to work on your harmonies in a more rock-oriented setting.
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Beach Boys are one of the musical acts most heavily associated with vocal harmonies, making their back catalogue a great resource when looking for fun songs to practice vocal harmonies.
God Only Knows is perhaps their most poignant song, and makes use of delicate woven vocal harmonies to guide the listener through the journey of the song. As the song progresses, more vocal layers are added creating a rich world of vocal textures. God Only Knows may be better suited to small choir groups, as you will need several voices to cover each of the vocal lines. If you don't have that many people then consider recording some of the parts in your DAW and using these to help you practise.
- You can use controllavoice to create an AI voice choir to help you perform or practice songs with multiple vocals. This is a great option for solo artists with a large musical vision.
The Beatles - Ticket To Ride
Finally in our list of best songs for vocal harmonies, we have another classic from the 60s, Ticket To Ride from The Beatles. This is a fun and energetic rock n’ roll track that makes fabulous use of vocal harmonies.
Like many Beatles hits, Ticket To Ride features a lead vocal sung by John Lennon, with the second vocal performed by Paul Mcartney. Both voices and tenor vocal parts, and so you may need to adapt things slightly to fit your own voice. The melodic ideas however are simple, yet super catchy, meaning that this song should be fairly easy for you to pick up and practice. Your main challenge will just be in deciding who gets to be John and who gets to be Paul!
That brings us to the end of our list of the best songs for harmonizing. We hope you enjoyed checking out these song recommendations. Best of luck singing these in your next vocal practice.
Commentaires