The Science of Bluegrass Harmony Singing

Research in psychology shows us that musical intervals that are “harmonious” set off patterns in our auditory neurons. The research also shows that “sweet” sounds carry more information than discordant ones. In other words, two tones whose frequencies are related by a simple ratio like 2:1 (a full octave) or 3:2 (a perfect fifth) produce the most pleasing, or consonant, musical intervals.

To our great benefit, we don’t need to know music theory or have any specific training to get this effect. We’re just wired that way. Babies and monkeys can hear the difference between a perfect fifth and a less consonant chord.

I won’t dive into any more details, but if you want to, you can read about it in The New Scientist.  

Beyond the psychology, it turns out there are also physiological benefits of singing. Singing is an excellent tool for improving breathing, posture, and muscle tension. Years ago, my allergist told me that singing is particularly helpful for those of us who deal with asthma. Singing helps asthma sufferers, he said, to retrain their body to expel more air. (Contrary to what many people think, asthma is not specifically the inability to inhale, but to exhale adequately, thus leaving no room in the lungs for another breath). Singing has been shown to be effective in pain relief, too; possibly due to the release of neurochemicals ß-endorphins (a natural painkiller responsible for “runner’s high” among other things). There’s also some evidence to suggest that music can play a role in sustaining a healthy immune system by reducing the stress hormone cortisol and boosting the Immunoglobin A antibody. We need all the immunity we can get right now.

Some other studies have suggested that harmony singing might have positive effects on people’s sense of community and well-being. Digging through the Welcome Column archives, I see a ten-year-old article by Cliff Compton on harmony singing. As Cliff says, “When you join the chorus with some high lonesome harmony you are in some way supporting the life experience of your musical friends’ heart, and somehow, for that moment, everything is better in this old world.”

If you keep up with what’s going on in social media these days, you may know that another form of harmony singing, namely sea shanties, are enjoying a whale of a popularity surge (pun intended). Although from a somewhat different musical tradition, it’s hard not to see the crossover with the tightly stacked harmonies. “Wellerman” started the craze (okay, some argue “Wellerman” is a sea song not a sea shanty, but that’s for another article, on a different website).  While physically distanced during this pandemic, singers have used the opportunity to add their harmony voices to a lead singer’s track, in this case, sea shantyman and former postal worker Nathan Evans (who, I just now read today has gotten a record deal with Polydor after his “Wellerman” TikTok video went viral in December).

Another sea shanty virtuoso, David Coffin, says, “Any one song that you sing with with other people: that’s a community right there. And I think there is such a need for community, for feeling connected, especially now.”

Good for our brains, bodies, and communities. It doesn’t cost a thing, and doesn’t need new strings, bridges, or fingerboards. Keep singing and listening. Stay connected, and we’ll see each other soon.

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Here’s a small collection of some of the sweetest bluegrass harmony singing I know… you probably have your favorites as well.

And speaking of Sister Sadie, and though not strictly bluegrass, Dale Ann Bradley and Tina Adair’s version of “Ripple,” if I do say so myself (don’t throw rotten tomatoes at me) is better than the original Grateful Dead version. 

Wear your mask.