[carol m]

I have always loved harmony in songs and often try to sing harmony to the music I hear. Some harmonies are really obvious and I think these are the sort of harmonies that are often found in hymns (I'm guessing). I think these are probably the thirds or fifths mostly and can be found by picking out chord tones within the chord etc.

But.......there are some songs, singers or groups where the harmony is 'closer' or in some way different. I remember people remarking on how the Beatles used new and interesting harmonies in many of their songs. Also the Bee Gees, CSNY, or even The Beach Boys.

Also, how do you /hear/find/think of interesting chord/harmonies for example that great F#minor at the end of the easy Silent Night or the A7/C# in the Classical Finger Waltz lesson? These are the sort of touches that makes the music interesting and different. Are there any basic ways to find these chords/harmonies, or does it only come with years of playing and listening to music?

I would really like to have a better understanding of various harmonies and how to make/sing/hear/understand different harmonies in vocals. I realise this can be a life-long study, but I don't have a whole life time left, so a few pointers would be great.