Best Songs for Practicing Vocal Harmonies - Part 2

Harmonizing is an essential skill for singers, and finding the right songs to practice with can make all the difference when it comes to upgrading your harmonizing skills.

When singing with a group or practicing alone, certain songs lend themselves beautifully to vocal harmonies. In this second part of our series, we share more fantastic songs that will help you refine your harmonization skills. You can find part one of this seires here - https://www.controlla.xyz/post/best-songs-for-practicing-vocal-harmonies

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

Fleetwood Mac’s "The Chain" is a great song for practicing vocal harmonies. The song features multiple layered voices that overlap and combine, making it an excellent choice for practicing harmonization. The chorus in particular is a great section to work on, as the harmonies build to an intense climax.

Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, and Christine McVies voices combine to stunning effect, and practicing “The Chain” also allows you to practice mixing male and female voices together. When working on this song, try focusing on each vocal part individually before bringing them all together.

Eagles - Seven Bridges Road

Few bands are as well known for their harmonies as the Eagles, and "Seven Bridges Road" is a wonderful showcase of vocal harmonies. This song is almost entirely a cappella, allowing you to really focus on your vocal performance and nailing the vocal harmonies. (This song contains close, five-part harmonies running throughout). 

The layered vocals require precise tuning and a good level of breath control, making it an advanced but rewarding song for vocalists looking to improve their harmonies. 

Queen - Somebody to Love

Queen’s Freddie Mercury has one of the most powerful and legendary voices in rock music. Their song "Somebody to Love" is notable for featuring complex harmonies that will challenge any aspiring singer.

The song features gospel-inspired vocal arrangements, making it a fantastic piece for a group of singers looking to work on their harmonies. As this song is quite difficult in places, we suggest breaking down the harmonies into individual sections before attempting to sing the full chorus together. 

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Helplessly Hoping

This song is a goldmine for vocal harmonies, featuring three interweaving vocal lines that create an incredibly fun singing experience. Vocal harmonization is one of the main features that the music of Crosby, Stills & Nash are known for. 

"Helplessly Hoping" is a great exercise in precise tuning and phrasing, requiring delicate care and attention from each singer to bring this song together. Each vocal part has its own defined role, so this song would be an ideal choice for small groups looking to refine their vocal harmony techniques.

The Beatles - Because

The Beatles were masters of vocal harmonies, and "Because" from their Abbey Road album is a textbook example of how to execute a three-part harmony in a pop music setting.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison’s voices combine in many places throughout this song, making it a fresh and enjoyable exercise for those wanting to practice tight harmonies. When practicing your harmonies with this song, pay close attention to matching vowel sounds, and synchronizing breathing together to achieve the smoothest possible rendition. 

The Everly Brothers - All I Have to Do Is Dream

The Everly Brothers were pioneers of close harmony singing, and "All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a fantastic song to practice with a partner. The tight two-part harmonies require singers to be in perfect sync, making it an excellent exercise in intonation and blending.

How Controlla Voice can Help

If you’re a solo artist or just want extra practice, ControllaVoice offers AI-generated harmonies that can help you refine your vocal skills. By creating an AI voice choir, you can practice harmonies even when you don’t have a singing partner. Try using it to isolate and rehearse specific vocal parts before attempting the full song.

These songs offer a variety of styles and difficulty levels, and should hoepfully offer you some great options to choose from in your next vocal practice session. Thanks for checking out this blog article. Happy singing and stay tuned for more articles like this one in the future!