Four-part harmony
Encyclopedia
The term "four-part harmony" refers to music written for 4 voices, or 4 musical instrument
s, where the various parts give a different note of each chord
of the music. Typically, the 1st of the 4 parts will sing (or play) the melody
, with the other 3 parts providing the supporting harmonies
. It is unusual for any of the 4 parts to share the same note, although it happens at times.
(or tenor
), alto
(contralto
or countertenor
), baritone
, and bass
. Because most singers have a relatively limited range, the upper notes of the soprano or tenor part cannot be sung by a bass singer. Conversely, the lower notes of the bass part typically cannot be reached by a soprano voice, with some notes so low that baritone voices cannot reach them either.
Groups of just 4 people, singing as quartet
s, can perform in four-part harmony. A special genre in this music is the "barbershop quartet" usually consisting of 4 men who sing tenor, countertenor, baritone, and bass parts. A barbershop quartet typically sings with extra focus on emphasizing, or exaggerating, the harmonies in a piece of music, rather than singing in quiet supporting roles to a louder, solo melody voice. All four voices often sing with such intensity that it is difficult to mimic the sound from just hearing the melody part separately, where the supporting voices can provide counterpoint
melodies, close harmonies, or a walking bass to the melody line.
, a brass quartet, or a woodwind quartet (might include a French horn). Each instrument could be scored to mimic the 4 voices of choral music. However, due to the range of musical instruments covering more pitches than a typical human voice, a quartet might play some harmonies with very high notes or very low notes, rather than the blended range of choral music.
Beyond quartets, in large orchestra
s or musical bands, the larger sections of instruments, such as violin
s, cello
s, clarinet
s, flute
s, trumpet
s, or French horns often have music written in four-part harmony. Similar to vocal music, the 1st part for a section of instruments typically plays the melody line, in some passages of a composition, with the other parts playing the supporting harmonies. The 3rd part is often a harmonic mirror of the 1st part, which will sound somewhat melodic as well (if played separately). However, the 2nd and 4th parts usually play close harmonies, in a more monotonous range, and rarely sound as melodic as the 3rd part. Because musical instruments typically have a wider range than a human voice, any instrument in each section of a band or orchestra is able to play any of the 4 parts, although the 1st part often has high notes, or faster notes, that only a more experienced musician can play well.
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s, where the various parts give a different note of each chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
of the music. Typically, the 1st of the 4 parts will sing (or play) the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
, with the other 3 parts providing the supporting harmonies
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
. It is unusual for any of the 4 parts to share the same note, although it happens at times.
Four parts for voices
In choral music, the 4 main voices are typically labelled as: sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
(or tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
), alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
(contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
or countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
), baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, and bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
. Because most singers have a relatively limited range, the upper notes of the soprano or tenor part cannot be sung by a bass singer. Conversely, the lower notes of the bass part typically cannot be reached by a soprano voice, with some notes so low that baritone voices cannot reach them either.
Groups of just 4 people, singing as quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
s, can perform in four-part harmony. A special genre in this music is the "barbershop quartet" usually consisting of 4 men who sing tenor, countertenor, baritone, and bass parts. A barbershop quartet typically sings with extra focus on emphasizing, or exaggerating, the harmonies in a piece of music, rather than singing in quiet supporting roles to a louder, solo melody voice. All four voices often sing with such intensity that it is difficult to mimic the sound from just hearing the melody part separately, where the supporting voices can provide counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
melodies, close harmonies, or a walking bass to the melody line.
Four parts for instruments
Some music is written, in four-part harmony, for small groups of only 4 instruments, such as a string quartetString quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, a brass quartet, or a woodwind quartet (might include a French horn). Each instrument could be scored to mimic the 4 voices of choral music. However, due to the range of musical instruments covering more pitches than a typical human voice, a quartet might play some harmonies with very high notes or very low notes, rather than the blended range of choral music.
Beyond quartets, in large orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
s or musical bands, the larger sections of instruments, such as violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
s, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s, or French horns often have music written in four-part harmony. Similar to vocal music, the 1st part for a section of instruments typically plays the melody line, in some passages of a composition, with the other parts playing the supporting harmonies. The 3rd part is often a harmonic mirror of the 1st part, which will sound somewhat melodic as well (if played separately). However, the 2nd and 4th parts usually play close harmonies, in a more monotonous range, and rarely sound as melodic as the 3rd part. Because musical instruments typically have a wider range than a human voice, any instrument in each section of a band or orchestra is able to play any of the 4 parts, although the 1st part often has high notes, or faster notes, that only a more experienced musician can play well.