A cappella
A cappella music is music where people sing without instruments.
In a choir, there are up to 5 parts: soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass. A cappella can also have those 5 parts. A difference is with percussion. With musical instruments, percussion is done with musical instruments that you hit, such as drums. In an a cappella performance, a person makes the percussion sound. For a beatbox performance, performers make sounds like electric drums, synthesizer and electric guitar. Another part of percussion in a cappella performance is making classical drum sounds for tapping the beat.
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[change] How to perform
For the first, scores needed. Especially, scores for a cappella are needed. If someone has an musical knowledge and ability, Finale and NWC are programs for arrangement. Through those programs, you can also listen and practice the songs with ease.
Normally, there should be at least 4 participants, soprano, alto, tenor or baritone, someone who can do bass and percussion at once. By arranging differently, you can perform only with men or women.
General form of the team would need 6 participants, 1 soprano, 1 alto, 1 tenor, 1 baritone, 1 bass, and 1 percussion. To prepare the performance, there should be two kinds of practice, individual and team one, which means each performer memorize their each part at home and modify the harmony at meeting. In these days, there are additional performances like dancing, storytelling, which is also important, and can make 'a cappella' performance fun and interesting.
[change] Genres
There are several kinds of music in a cappella these days, such as barbershop, classical, contemporary, gospel, doo-wop, jazz, and world.
A barbershop group has 4 people. They usually sing religious and dynamic music.[source?] The name of this genre originated from the tradition that when many men who gathered in barbershop meet someone who can sing well, they made team and just sang a song with no musical instruments.
In classical a cappella, people perform classical music such as 'a Turkish march', 'Overture William Tell', madrigal, etc.
Contemporary is the most popular kind of a cappella these days. For this kind, the "bass" line should be stronger, and the "chorus" (all the singers except for bass, percussion, and solo) should have variety. The percussion should make their sound more like drums. This genre is similar to 'doo-wop' but the "chorus" part is more complex and has a variety of sound effects.
Doo-wop is also getting more popular because of its simple style. Even though it has simple moto (Italian for "progression of music"), it can be interesting with great vocal and chorus.
