The baritone is the other of the two
middle voice parts in barbershop music.
Baritone
is a harmony part sung below or above the melody, depending on where
the melody is situated. Baritone differs from the Alto part in
traditional choral music, because it frequently crosses over the melody
(lead).
The baritone is
written in the bass clef, an octave lower than it is sung.
Though
the baritone and lead sing in the same basic range, the techniques for
singing the two parts are different. The baritone must be
constantly aware of her position in the chord and she must remain
flexible enough to adjust her tone when needed. When she sings
below the lead, she uses a rich, full sound that helps to solidify the
relationship between lead and bass. When she sings above the
lead, she uses a lighter production, similar to that used by the
tenor. The baritone sings a relatively straight, well-produced
tone with a minimum of vibrato.
Like
the tenor, the baritone frequently sings the thirds and sevenths of a
chord. These two tones require the greatest degree of pitch
adjustment from the equal tempered scale. These notes must be
tuned so that the chords will "lock."
