Barbershop Harmony: What’s a Tag? Please leave this space blank. Harrison Kahle von Bose Methods Results Figure 2 – Post Office Utah State University Quartet Collaboration was integral to this Four typical harmonic practices that Under tutelage of: project. Dr. Chenette met with me characterize barbershop: Dr. Tim Chenette regularly gave guidance and further • The Hollywood Cadence: IV-iihalf-065-I 7 o7 Utah State University instruction to improve analytical skills. • Secondary Chords: V /V, and vii /V • Circle of Fifth Progressions: iv-ii-V-I 1. Research history, culture, and • The Unexpected: False Endings and previous studies on barbershop Sudden Key Changes Introduction 2. Select and analyze tags. 3. Discuss findings with Dr. Chenette Barbershop was a cultural music of 4. Compare and contrast tags African-Americans in the post-Civil War Since the 1950’s, Barbershop has been a 5. Justify differences South, and shares much with early Jazz. fringe musical culture in the United States. 6. Organize tags based on findings Enjoyed wild popularity before the The members of the Post Office Quartet After years of studying classical harmonic 7. Attend a Barbershop Festival 1920’s. Revived by wealthy whites as a were able to come together from across structure, I hoped to take my analytical 8. Present findings in a Lecture-Recital Neo-Victorian hobby in the late 1930’s. three states to provide live examples at skills and discover what it is about the Lecture-Recital. barbershop harmony makes it so unique. As suggested by the Barbershop Harmony Societies own theory program, I studied Figure 1 – Analyzed Tags tags from many different pieces, rather Conclusions than analyzing full charts (works of barbershop music) in order to understand Barbershop harmony has evolved with the the elements of barbershop harmony. culture of the United States, albeit on the fringes of society. The music is rich and So, What’s A Tag? harmonically complex and warrants • Specialized coda, featuring words and further study and analysis. Suggested sometimes thematic melody. further studies include why certain chords • A virtuosic opportunity for singers to are valued over others in barbershop show off. composition, the different harmonic • Short enough to facilitate easy teaching anomalies created through close harmony, and social interaction between straight tone singing, and just tuning, and “barbershoper’s” the effects of creating small ensembles of Examples of tags from left to right in rows: The Hollywood Cadence in Sleepy Time Down South, Secondary Chords in When I’m Gone, Circle of Fifths Progressions in I Love to Sing ‘Em, and a Sudden Key singers (such as a Barbershop Quartet) Change through a deceptive cadence in Lost. within a larger ensemble. Harrison Kahle von Bose Utah State University Study conducted for Bachelor of Arts Capstone Project. Music Department [email protected].