Harmony!

So, here’s what I do…

I write a song, I think it’s performance/recording-worthy. I go out and play it at open mics, at gigs, etc. I gauge the response to the song. If it passes the sniff test, I put it in a pile of original songs to bring to the recording studio for full production.

And as I’ve alluded to in previous posts, the song is done at that point. Of course, it will continue to evolve as I explore various instrument arrangements with my producer. 

But there is often one major component of the song that I neglect until, frankly, the last minute… harmony!

I can be forgiven for that; after all, I am just Patty M, the solo singer-songwriter (most of the time, when I’m not performing with the acoustic band Sorella Jack). No one is singing back up for me when I perform the song in question. And that’s an issue. Because many songs really need harmony. It’s such nice icing on the cake! (Oy. Cliché).

By no means do I have a single solution for this dilemma. Currently, I rush to fashion some sort of harmony line during the course of recording the song. I’d really prefer to bring harmonies to the studio that are far more time-tested and fleshed out than ones I quickly baste together.

Hmmm… I would love to hear the thoughts of other songwriters out there. How do you develop harmonies for your songs?

Here are some options, I suppose:

Got a musician friend who has decent voice? See if she/he would be willing to work up some harmonies with you. I like this idea because when your composition is sung with the fresh perspective of another singer, it can sometimes be improved overall. But everyone is very busy these days, so this approach may have logistical challenges.

Ever use a vocal harmonizer pedal or something akin to that? Honestly, I have never used one and frankly don’t completely understand what they do. I have occasionally heard them used by performers (and sometimes overused) to add an additional “voice” (singing in harmony) for a solo performer. I imagine they might be able to assist in developing harmonies for a new song.

How about a simple multi-track recording device? They aren’t usually very expensive, they’re fairly easy to use, and there are a lot to choose from. I had one of these devices a long time ago (it has probably been recycled into that travel coffee mug you’re drinking from now - you’re welcome!), and honestly, I’m thinking I should look into investing in a new one.

Well, there you go. For the sake of keeping this posting too long, I’ll stop the list now, but I’m sure there are other options to consider. 

Anyway, here’s hoping your life is always harmonious! (Good grief, I couldn’t think of a closer more original than that!?)

Patty M1 Comment