Barbershop Music History

Barbershop Music History

Traditionally, barbershop was an industry for men. It was only after women entered the industry that barbershops became places where women could gather to discuss their experiences in the male world and share advice. During the late nineteenth century, however, barbershops began to be frequented by men, and even by women. Today barbershop remains one of the most popular places for men to gather to discuss hair, nails, hair cuts, fashion and other topics related to the male body.

Barbershop quartet, or four-piece band, has played an integral part in the growth and resurgence of the barbershop tradition. The first barbershop quartet, the Giddens, consisted of vocalist, bassist, and lead guitarist; all of whom spoke through harmonious singing of songs revolving around their own unique vocal range. The Giddens put together in the early 1870s and performed regularly throughout the nation. This popular barbershop quartet made use of woods, drums, and brass instruments for their compositions. As they expanded, other bands emerged that used similar tools, but developed their own sound to create distinctive barbershop sounds.

Over time, barbershop singing has evolved into a widely accepted form, complete with its own vocabulary and conventions. Modern barbershop chord progressions still commonly utilize simple chords composed of two to five notes, although some modern barbershop chord charts incorporate seven, eight, and sometimes nine chords. Barbershop harmony is accomplished by placing the center note on top (or root) line of the sixth string and any other notes on the fretboard.

Barbershop quartet arrangements often include one singer with a rounder voice and another singer who has a richer tone. Many barbershop music arrangements also contain a fourth singer whose pitch is higher than the other singers. This fourth singer can sing a simple melody, lead a four-part harmony section, or add other accompaniments such as string bass, flute, saxophone, or guitar. For a more traditional approach, include the lead singer and the four-part harmony singer in a duo.

There are many styles of barbershop dance, all of which are rooted in early American slave barbershop music. Most dances performed during this time were highly competitive and frequently performed by groups of men. Dancers often wore eye patches to conceal their eyes while wearing a scarf over their heads to keep the sweat from falling onto their shoulders. A common practice for the time was for the men to dance in front of the women, while the women sat at the sides. When a new dancer joined a group, he was expected to learn the basics of barbershop from the rest of the group, but as he became more experienced he was encouraged to step into the spotlight and do his own vocalizing and instrumental blending. This form of choreography became known as "dancing around the tree" and was considered an inventive innovation that lit the fuse for modern day barbershop.

Barbershop vocals and instrumentation utilize several basic barbershop instruments. The traditional barber knife, often called a "shaver", is shaped like a large knife with four cutting edges: two pointing down the blade and two pointing at the bottom. Each edge is curved to produce varying sounds. The player can choose between different length blades to create different octaves of ringing overtones. The traditional barbershop guitar also contains two curved blades, much like a violin, and these too are used to play the basic barbershop chords. The traditional piano used in this genre of barbershop music is also quite distinctive and contains a few unique notes, usually a bit deeper or brighter than the rest of the strings on a typical piano.