Hi Mike,

Great question!

I try to record two harmony parts as a rule, and let the song tell me where and when. Usually from the second chorus on, and sometimes verses after the first chorus will get at least "line ending" harmonies.

I loop each phrase in my sequencer and start mumbling along, by the third or fourth repeat usually have something, by the tenth or fifteenth, something good. I hate doing things by rote, formulaically...Usually the songs themselves "tell you" what to do with the harmonies...in one from about three months ago there were some Brian Wilson "counterpoint" type vocals that took the same words the main vocal had, but stretched them to a different melody, that fit of course. The same song had C S & N style added 9th block chords in there as well. Harmonies can really help give ones sound a distinction that other instruments can only dream about.

Mike

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 05/25/09 02:46 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)