Q: I love the vocal harmonies in your songs! Do you have any advice on writing vocal harmonies? I know you want to write the parts in the range the singer is most comfortable singing.. but in terms of the specific voicings, are there voicings that you think work well on piano, but not so much with voice (or vice versa)? I guess, in general, im curious if you approach voicing harmony differently for different instruments? Would you write a vocal harmony differently then a horn arrangement, etc? Or do the same techniques apply across the board?
A: it's pretty simple. i think it's important to start simple. only put a harmony on like 1 thing. like maybe that special line in the 2nd verse. only add 1 harmony note. i think it's ususlly pretty clear what to add. but the only way to know is just try it. one important thing to remember is keep the mix lower than the lead. put it on loop and select your harmony tracks and slide them down until it sounds right. harmonies mostly will work best in the 'chord range' which is usually like middle C and above. if your lead vocal is male and in the mid-low range (like below middle C) just remember that your harmonies will usually want to be higher. then just try stuff and see what works