Barbershop History...

This unique sound of 4-part, close harmony was actually sung in barbershops and on street corners and at social functions and in parlors. Barbershop is actually a combination of African-American musical devices, European hymn-singing culture, and an American tradition of recreational music. Minstrel shows of the mid 1800s often presented quartets singing close-harmony music. In the early 1900s with the invention of the phonograph and the radio, this type of singing became even more popular. Men started congregating in barbershops around this time, where they socialized and sang. It started with someone singing a melody and others joining in, harmonizing with the "Leader", who continued singing the melody. This evolved into the 4 parts, which are still sung today - the "Lead" singing the melody, the "Tenor" singing a harmony duet above the "Lead", the "Bass" singing a harmony duet below the "Lead", and the "Baritone" singing the missing notes between the "Bass" and the "Lead". Together they comprise the distinctive Barbershop sound.

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