Wish I Didn't Have So Much Trouble with Vocal Harmonies

[hummingbird]

One thing I've heard is that you should record your harmony with a different mike than the lead. I guess, especially if it's you harmonizing with you, a different texture would add something of interest....

I like RMCall's ideas, I used to do multi-layered improvisational vocal soundscapes, so it doesn't strike me as wierd to try out a lot of different things in a free form manner. Kinda like vocal brainstorming

[remmet]

One thing I always try to be conscious of is using good voice leading for the harmony lines, so it's not just a matter of each note forming the proper triad without regard to how the notes arrived there. I try to create harmony lines that form a fully realized counter-melody of their own but still support and fill out the lead vocal line.

Regarding the issue of harmony parts sometimes clashing with the instrumental arrangement, I think you have 3 choices:

1. Ignore the clashes and keep the harmony lines the same
2. Change the harmony lines so that they don't clash - - or
3. Change the instrumental parts that are causing the clashing.

I've done all 3 at various times, but if I really like the harmony parts and think they are of prime importance, I won't hesitate to rewrite a keyboard part or re-record a guitar part to make it work.

hth

Richard

[Jim1960]

I use a rack mount TCHelicon. My harmonies are very simple and used olny to give a taste of flavor to a certain vocal line. I use a single voice most times and dial back the harmony -5DB. This gives it a very human sound. If the song requires male background singers, I then dial the gender to the lower male tones and vs versa for female. Shifting gender makes a whole lot of difference and can clean up a harmony quite nicely.