How to create vocal harmonies the easy way

  • Thread starter Thread starter rgraves
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Vocal harmonies

Nothing that I've ever heard replaces real voices singing real harmonies. Experimenting with backing vocals, IF YOU CAN SING, will bring wonderous results. If singing is a weak spot, enlist a good singing friend.
 
You ever see the episode of the Simpsons where Bart and his friends were turned into a boy band? That's not as big of a stretch as you might think.
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muwahahahaha....one of the best ever - if i believed in rep points, i'd give you some just for making that reference

anyways...i dunno if this would actually work, but maybe you could try to dig up a digitech whammy pedal somewhere - it's usually meant as a guitar pedal, but has pitch shifting/harmonizing functions...my guess though is that everything would come out robot-sounding. not to mention the issues that would arise from going into and out of an unbalanced connection
 
Is there any easier way to create perfect 4 part harmonies without learning theory, using hardware or plugins, or having to explain myself?

Don't bother telling me the answer, if you could just email me the tracks that'd be great. In fact, I'm too busy to actually record the song it's for too, so if you can concentrate real hard on the melody I'm hearing in my head, then go ahead and record it, send it out and let me know when and where I need to be to sign the contracts I'll try and make it, schedule permitting.

Gotta run......
 
I say stop using so many gadgets and just sing the part....and if u cant sing it then practice till u can.....if u still cant sing it....ummm buy some of the gadgets listed above....
 
i agree....if you cant sing a harmony.....then spend the money you were going to spend on any gadget and get some vocal lessons
 
scorpio01169 said:
i agree....if you cant sing a harmony.....then spend the money you were going to spend on any gadget and get some vocal lessons
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Well, if you had read the post you would see the person singing isn't myself. I wouldn't think about it if it was for a final product commercial CD, but I don't want to waste any more of my time having this guy do takes over and over again for free. Plus then I've got to check which notes are the correct harmony or not, whereas if I just do the pitch shift thing it is always the correct harmony.

I've now had a night to play with it and it seems to work just fine, for smaller intervals such as thirds anyways. It definately sounds artificial if you solo the track, but using it just to slightly compliment the track seems ok...but I'll have to play with it more.

By the way, no one is going to teach you to sing harmony if you don't have the ear for it already, either you can hear the intervals or not.

And we've got boybands to produce, singing is irrelevant! (j/k) :D
 
Vocal harmony easy...

Whatever the chord is under the melody, sing notes from that chord (and the change chords) that are different from the melody.

Sounds great when it works.
 
Monkey Allen said:
Vocal harmony easy...

Whatever the chord is under the melody, sing notes from that chord (and the change chords) that are different from the melody.

Sounds great when it works.
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2 b-z 2 lrn kords

mst b ez'er
 
if the dude insists on singing the harmonies himself, then record the harmony on your keyboard so that he has a guide. if the melody is throwing him off then mute it if you must.

if his vocals aren't horribly out of tune, then combining the original with the autotune'd vocal (panned apart) will make the background vocals sound thick... especially after low cut EQ, compression, and chorus have been applied. i've done this myself on several occassions. i'm not a horrible singer but will not give you visions of Luther at the Warner.

edit:
oh, just to be understood, i'm talking about several takes of each harmony with the natural vocals to one side and the autotuned to the other.

i've also tried it where i have take 1 natural to the left, and take 2 natural to the right, so i don't get the all natural on one side and the all chipmonk on the other, but i noticed that once its mixed into the song i couldn't tell the difference.
 
hey i think the antares auto tuner is one of the best things that has come to recording!
i constantly am recording people with voices that just cant hit the note, and to tell you the truth, the autotuner with the right settings, really (and i mean REALLY) helps. it brings the voice to the correct pitch.
when u solo the voice, it does sound a little digital... but it sounds kinda cool to me,... and when u put the whole song together its not too noticeable.

you really have to play around with the autotuner to get it to work right, but hell ive made some awesome "perfect" sounding harmonies from that thing in as little as 2 takes.
 
drumminsnowman said:
hey i think the antares auto tuner is one of the best things that has come to recording! .
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...and one of the worst things that has come to the live show.
 
Get a midi of the melody vocal and use a program such as Band in the Box to create a harmony of the melody. Then play back that harmony midi file and sing with it until you've learned the harmony perfectly. Then record your harmony vocal. Works well.

I imagine after doing this enough times, one might be able to start singing harmony to melodies without the help from programs like Band in the Box. I have.

James
 
Cazzbar said:
ermm... i have no musical talent or idea how to create music, least of all time to make things so good, can anyone recommend a plugin for me that will sound cool? thanks in advance
--
drunk and deflated, still, new day tomorrow
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Yeah, there's a really cool one, called "OK Computer" put out by a software firm named Radiohead. Just put it on your CD player and hit play.

You'll be amazed at good you sound.
 
Todzilla said:
Yeah, there's a really cool one, called "OK Computer" put out by a software firm named Radiohead. Just put it on your CD player and hit play.

You'll be amazed at good you sound.
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oh crap, i thought i was the only one who knew that trick. might have to try some different software... upgrade to Kid A maybe?

Andy
 
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