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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How Do I Get A Barbershop Group Started?
A: Just as you would for any new ensemble, there are 3 key requirements:

  1. Motivation - your students and you need to be excited about the new group.  Talk to YIBDI about the possibility of a guest quartet or other audio/visual resources.
  2. Ability - your students need to audition for the new group, demonstrating the ability to hold their vocal line against another. You will need to assign your students to each part, according to range, harmony ability and overall group balance. See the Resource Sheets  for more help.
  3. Music - you need to have at least 2 pieces of music ready to teach, and to have a basic idea of what you intend to do with interpretation. See the Resource Sheets  for more help.

Empower you students by involving them in choreography development and costuming.

Good Luck!

Q: Where Do I Go For Music?
A: For girls, Sweet Adelines International has a wide range of music voiced for young women. YWIH (Young Women In Harmony) music and learning tapes as well as a heap of other helpful things are available on the Sweet Adelines International website:

www.sweetadelinesintl.org

For boys, The Society offers a list of free music available at:

www.barbershop.org

Q: How Is Barbershop Different from Mainstream Choral Music?
A: I guess the critical difference is reflected in the names we use. Our groups are Choruses, not Choirs. Our conductors are Directors.

If you think about Barbershop as being a dramatic art, derived from the stage, not the concert hall, you'll be on the right track.

We appreciate the universal vocal production skills of all non-amplified singing, but tend more towards the music theatre style in our vocal placement.

As barbershop is ensemble singing at its most exacting, vocal blend is extremely important, to the point where vibrato is discouraged as it causes individual voices to stick out, and interferes with Lock & Ring.

And of course we sing (a) without music and (b) with a visual plan to our performance. This gets us back to the music theatre side of things!

Q: What Other Materials Are Available To Help Me?
A: Sweet Adelines International produce a Young Women In Harmony kit.  This includes free music & learning CDs and other materials.  You can also source DVDs of the Rising Star Contest from SAI - this is the International YWIH contest.

See the Resource Sheets for some helpful information.

See the Links page for other useful websites.

Q: How Can My Group Be Involved In The Big Barbershop Day Out?
A: Simply by contacting us and expressing your interest!

Q: How Can I Learn More About Teaching Barbershop?
A: You can contact any of the Barbershop Coaches listed on the Resources page to ask questions or arrange coaching for your group, or contact us through this website and we can coordinate some help for you.

As a teacher, you can attend a  Professional Development Day, at which you will sit classes on barbershop style, hear examples and be given tools to use in teaching the artform.