A good lead will hold the audience in the palm of her hand.

Generally speaking, the lead part sings the melody of the song. Leads sing above the basses and below the tenors except in exceptional circumstances where the tune goes elsewhere.

The range: G below middle C up to C above middle C.
(Similar to a choral Alto).

A good lead singer must be able to keep in tune, as the other parts tune their notes to the leads, so if the lead goes flat, everyone goes flat! A good lead singer will also be able to sing with great expression and sensitivity to the message of the song, and convey this to the listener.

Some consider the lead part to be the easiest of the four parts in Barbershop Harmony. Although the "tune" may be easier to learn than a harmony part, singing lead demands a great deal of soul and finesse to enable the audience to believe in the performance, therefore a good lead needs to have a wonderful voice and a lot of vocal tools at her disposal.

Please come along to any rehearsal and find out what it's all about!

Bass   ~   Bari   ~   Lead   ~   Tenor