BARBERSHOP-GLOSSARY

Typical for Barbershop are among other things…


Afterglow
Casual party after a show or barbershop meeting, usually including impromptu quartet singing

 

Barbershop cone

Barbershop Cone, Grafik: Ursula Bedner

The balance of the four voice parts with regard to volume, weight and blend

 

Barbershop seventh
The characteristic barbershop chord, containing the root, the major third, the perfect fifth and the minor seventh as for example in the chord F, A, C, Eb


Echo

Repeat of words or phrases by several voice parts for dramatic effect


Embellishment
Decorative features such as swipes, modulations, echo effects in order to embellish the arrangement


Close-harmony singing
Harmony singing in which the four voice parts are arranged in a narrow range, usually within one octave


Swipe
A chord progression moving on a word/syllable with one or more voice parts changing their pitch while another voice part (usually the lead or tenor) holds its pitch


Tag
An elaborately arranged part of a song, the coda, to create a dramatic effect. Tags are part of the repertoire and an integral part of the afterglow.

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