Find the second voice
Type the notes of a melody, choose a key, and the Harmony Finder works out a second voice a third or a sixth above or below, writes both lines on the staff and plays them together, apart or in turn. Every pair is named, so you can see why one is a major third and the next a minor third.
Using it to learn to sing harmony
- Play the melody only, and sing it.
- Play the harmony only, and sing that.
- Play both together and sing one of the lines against the other while it plays.
Then practise holding your note with the Sing in Harmony trainer, and see how it fits into the Sing in Harmony program.
Frequently asked questions
What is a harmony line?
A second tune that moves with the melody but on different notes. The simplest kind runs a third or a sixth away from the melody, always staying inside the key. Two voices doing that sound like one song.
Why is the interval sometimes a major third and sometimes a minor third?
Because the harmony stays in the key. The scale decides: in C major the third above C is E (major), but above D it is F (minor). If it always used the same size, you would leave the key.
Third above, third below, sixth above: which should I use?
Pick the one that fits your voice. A third below and a sixth above use the same note names in different octaves, so they sound similar. Thirds are close and tight, sixths are wider and open. Most singers find one range much more comfortable.
My melody has a note outside the key.
The tool only harmonises notes that belong to the key, because it keeps the harmony in the key. Choose the key that matches your tune, or change the odd note and sing that part by ear.
Is it always right?
It gives a safe harmony: one that stays in the key. It does not look at the chords under the tune, so on a few notes another harmony note may sound richer. Use your ear. If you like how it sounds, it is right.