In barbershop music the tenor is the highest of the
four voice parts and is a harmony part sung above the melody.
Since
one of the primary characteristics of barbershop harmony is its
cone-shaped sound, the tenor must sing with a lighter production than
the lower voices, without sacrificing clarity or brilliance. her
quality must complement, but never overshadow, the lead.
The
tenor sings mostly in her upper register (head voice), but she must be
able to use her heavier lower register (chest voice) for lower notes in
her range.
Lyric sopranos often make good tenors.
The coloratura, dramatic or mezzo soprano must be able to lighten the
voice quality and remove excessive vibrato in order to fulfill the
requirements of this voice part.
Arrangements sometimes
require that the tenor sing below the lead. When this occurs, the
tenor must broaden her quality so that the chords remain in balance.
The
tenor 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."
