Hey there everybody,
I've got a new lesson for us to focus on singing. We're going to look at an old hymn from 1929 called I'll Fly Away. It's been popularized outside of the church by bluegrass and country musicians. The modern version we'll be looking at is from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? It was released in 2000, more than 70 years after the song was written.
You can listen to it here. The original hymn will be posted at the bottom for reference to the melody. In particular the last phrase is different. It seems as though most the modern versions of the song have simplified the melody. (Look into measure 13 of the hymn. It's ascending instead of descending.)
One of the first things I do is learn the melody. Be able to sing it without an instrument. Have it memorized. At that point, sing and memorize the harmony part. Once you get here, sing the harmony while playing the melody and vice versa. If you're wanting to become a bit more academic, I would compare the notes of the harmony and melody to the chords that are played by instruments.
Because of the way chords are built (Root, Third and Fifth) there are two main shapes that harmonized vocals use. Singing a 3rd or a 4th away from the melody. Depending on which of the chord tones the melody is using, you'll need to choose the appropriate interval to make sure your choice aligns with the chord. Remember that intervals can be inverted just like chords. So a 3rd above can become a 6th below, or a 4th below can become a 5th above.
This is where being a bit more academic can pay off. If you take the time to analyze the harmony and melody's relationship to the chords you can start to embody some of the tricks that the pros use. A couple of examples.
1) The melody is sometimes simplified to allow the harmony to embellish. This allows the duet to feel more equal. The attention is passed back and fourth between singers.
2) Grace notes are a way of sliding into your target note. Listen to the recording to hear when they are hitting notes cleanly versus when they decided to slide in or out of them. Often they do this together.
I hope you enjoy the music. It's a good song that has been adopted throughout the ages.
Enjoy the process. Keep playing.
Christopher
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