Contrary to prevalent misdefinitions, barbershop quartets originally began in actual barbershops, by African American men waiting their turn in the late 19th century. The men would simply sit around, converse, and sing in four-person harmonies while enjoying each other's company-- the barbershops serving as a sort of social center for African American men.
Reaching back even further, historians believe barbershop music itself-- in its simplest original form-- began with sacred music sang in primeval European monasteries, which is more than likely, considering barbershop music consists of simple harmonized vocals. There no doubt existed religious chants sung by monks in unison, eventually creating harmonized chord structures in its simplest form. It has also been said that the term 'barbershop music' is found in early records during the English Elizabeth era, as in those days, barbershops had more of a significant role in the community, not only cutting hair, but filling in as dentists, as well as performing minor surgeries. The folk songs that immigrants brought to America typically consisted of four-part harmonies as well, so the barbershop style of music may also evolve from traditional close-harmony quartets of the 1800s.
Like the musical saw, the beginnings of barbershop music remains a topic of debate, however barbershop music in its current form began reaching popularity in the latter half of the 1800s. Both the musical saw and barbershop music will forever remain symbols of authentic folk art.
Once the African American men introduced barbershop music to the world, it rapidly gained popularity by white male performers as well. The invention of Thomas Edison's phonogram aided the popularity of barbershop quartets in America. With the creation of the phonorecord, barbershop music could be recorded, reproduced and communicated with the aid of a machine, from which then the sounds could be perceived. Barbershop quartets were easily accessible to the recording studio, as compared to a full orchestra, making the recording of barbershop music an easy task. With that said, barbershop music wasn't simply limited to barbershops, as quartets would congregate singing four-part harmonies at parties, street corners, or anywhere an audience would listen.
Once barbershop music began gaining popularity, quartets began appearing in traveling minstrel and vaudeville shows. as the harmonies were generally improvised in this early form. Vocalized sheet music was seldom used, so the singers would vocalize their melodies "by ear". By the end of the 19th century, barbershop quartet music was performed almost entirely by white male performers. Barbershop quartets were the perfect intermission act for minstrel shows and vaudeville, as no props or instruments were needed, so the singers entertained audiences while the next act prepared.
The first written use of the word "barbershop" came in 1910, with the publication of the song, "Play That Barbershop Chord," evidence of common parlance at the time. The Norman Rockwell painting Sharp Harmony, which appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post magazine issue dated September 26, 1936, featuring a barber and three of his clients enjoying an a capella song, remains a staple of the barbershop quartet image.
An unfashionable genre in modern times, barbershop music remained extremely popular until the 1930s, when the demand for public performances disintegrated, the radio became the common form of musical entertainment, and the jazz era took over. Barbershop melodies remain intact in the a capella music of the black church.
Concerned perhaps that barbershop music would be lost forever to history, barbershop music aficionados began working on ways to promote and preserve the genre, hence the advent of the Barbershop Harmony Society, whose focus is strictly to promote barbershop music nationwide, teaching its methods to interested students. According to the BHS, "Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily singable melodies, whose tones clearly define a tonal center and imply major and minor chords and barbershop (dominant and secondary dominant) seventh chords that resolve primarily around the circle of fifths, while making frequent use of other resolutions."
What is barbershop music exactly?
Barbershop music is unaccompanied vocal music sung in a capella characterized by its consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominately homophonic texture. The distinctive four-part harmony is made up of the tenor (which harmonizes above the melody), the lead (singing the melody), baritone (typically between the lead the bass, completing the chord), and bass (the lowest harmonizing notes). Unlike a chorus, the quartet needs to have equal numbers singing each voice part. Barbershop music uses predominately simple sentimental lyrics which could be easily harmonized with four-part chords.
To-day, barbershop singing is performed by both men's and women's groups, as well as choruses, which may have as few as 12 or as many as 150 members singing. Despite its new additions and modern day organizations, the original barbershop quartet, or "four act," remains a beloved decadent genre for antiquarian music lovers alike, especially those that collect old 78rpm records such as myself.
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