Bridger Mountain Harmony Chorus

Barbershop Frequently Asked Questions

Where did barbershop music originate?

Barbershop grew in popularity between the 1860’s and 1920’s in the U.S. as an abundance of sentimental songs with simple melodies lent themselves to easily improvised harmonies. As the printing press was adapted to musical notation, pre-determined arrangements became more common. In 1945, Sweet Adelines International was formed in Tulsa, OK. Today both men’s and women’s barbershop music continues to be popular.

I thought barbershop music was just for men?

This is a common misconception. Sweet Adelines International has been around since 1945. It was formed a few years after some men in Oklahoma formed the Society for the Preservation and Enjoyment of Barber Shop and Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), also known as the Barbershop Harmony Society. Their wives wanted to get in on the fun as well. Both men’s and women’s, quartets and choruses have been around for quite a while.

What are the different voices in barbershop music?

Barbershop music has four parts, named after men’s voices:

Tenor, the highest voice
Lead, the melody line
Baritone, the indispensible middle voice
Bass, the lowest voice

What distinguishes barbershop music from other music forms?

Barbershop music is characterized by tight four-part a capella harmonies. The four parts are Tenor, Lead, Bass, and Baritone. If you hear a fifth part or feel a shiver down your spine, the group has produced a ringing chord. That is, they got everything just right so that the fifth part mysteriously appears. This happens because each note in the chord is adjusted slightly from an even-tempered scale to a pythagorean scale so that the overtones reinforce one another to the point where they become easily audible.

True barbershop harmony emphasizes Major triads (1-3-5-1) and Dominant 7^th (1-3-5-7♭) chords. These most easily produce the ring that is so coveted.

While the old standards are always popular, many pop tunes are adapted to the barbershop style with pleasing results.

Are there other “American” forms of music besides barbershop?

There seem to be as many lists of unique “American” music forms as there are musical historians. There is a lot of similarity between the lists, and there is usually not more than 3 or 4 forms in the list.

My list is as follows: Barbershop, Jazz, Spirituals, Country western. As with all folk music, their origins are uncertain, but their popularity and influence on music today is undeniable.

The West African music tradition, melded with the mournful plight of slaves in the South, produced the blues scale. Both jazz and the spiritual trace their roots to this scale. As Christianity came to the slave population, their African-american musical forms heavily influenced religious music. At the turn of the 20^th century, the seedy side of New Orleans with its mix of cultures birthed what is now known as Dixieland Jazz, an early form of jazz.

Country western music has its roots in the rural south and west where English, Scotch, and Irish settled. The “singing cowboys” of film in the 1930’s such as Gene Autry created a characteristically “western” genre.

Is there a local barbershop chorus near me?

Check out the Sweet Adelines International and Barbershop Harmony Society sites.

The chances are high that there is one near you. Both organizations have many choruses across the U.S. and the world.

What if my question is not addressed here?

Send your question to and I'll try to get it answered.

Some of the music history is adapted from The On-line Encyclopedia Britannica and The History of Barbershop pamphlet published by Sweet Adelines International.