Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

Barbershop seventh chord

Polish translation:

dominanta septymowa w stylu barbershop

Added to glossary by Joachim D. Nawrot
Mar 31, 2013 15:36
11 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term

Barbershop seventh chord

English to Polish Art/Literary Music Music Theory
1) barbershop seventh chord. A chord consisting of the root, third, fifth, and flatted seventh degrees of the scale. It is characteristic of barbershop arrangements. When used to lead to a chord whose root is a fifth below the root of the barbershop seventh chord, it is called a dominant seventh chord. Barbershoppers sometimes refer to this as the 'meat 'n' taters chord.' In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, these chords were sometimes called 'minors.' [as in minor seventh chord]

2) The barbershop seventh is the name commonly given by practitioners of barbershop music to the seventh of and the major-minor seventh or dominant seventh chord, when it is used in a barbershop arrangement or performance. "Society arrangers believe that a song should contain anywhere from 35 to 60 percent dominant seventh chords to sound 'barbershop'--and when they do, barbershoppers speak of being in 'seventh heaven.'"

3) Also, called "ringing chord", "expanded sound", "the angel's voice", "the fifth voice", or "the overtone"

All suggestions as to how to approach this, while keeping in mind the cultural differences between the USA, where the term Barbershop quartet originated, and Poland - where, to the best of my knowledge - there has not been any tradition of such vocal singing, would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!

Proposed translations

+2
3 hrs
Selected

dominanta septymowa

If the text relates directly to the barbershop tradition, you could use:
dominanta septymowa charakterystyczna dla stylu rewelersów (which is a white lie, see the explanation below)

If you wish to be more precise, less understood -> dominanta septymowa w stylu "barbershop".

However, if only possible, I would leave it as "dominanta septymowa" and not go into any more details.

Why?

First and foremost, the cultural difference is too large. I wouldn't count on anyone apart from specialists to understand the difference between "dominant seventh" and "barbershop seventh". If you refer to "chór rewelersów", it is just the closest thing you can get to a barbershop quartet, but not the same, when we go down to technical details.

The most important part is that "chór rewelersów" in Poland has usually been a professional group trained in European classical music, therefore they sung in strictly tempered scale. "Barbershop seventh" is a chord derived from African-American tradition, and is untempered - the legendary "sweetness" of the chord is derived from equal proportions between the frequencies of the chord notes, which you cannot achieve if you strictly abide by the tempered scale. If not for this, it would be just "dominanta septymowa". Just a handful of experts here would understand the difference between the dominant seventh and the "angel's voice", so your translation this way or another would be at least slightly off the mark, unless you go into a lengthy explanation - which not many people would understand anyway, given that the male quartet a capella singing is not very popular in Poland.

The more precise academic version would be "czterodźwięk durowy z septymą zmniejszoną", but this is strictly technical (read as: sounds awkward) and most people educated in music would perfectly understand what you mean by "dominanta septymowa" and simultaneously you would avoid boring your readers to tears.

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Note added at 1 day14 hrs (2013-04-02 05:50:14 GMT) Post-grading
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Cieszę się, że mogłem pomóc - w razie czego chętnie znów pomogę, tyle że na ProZ wchodzę okazjonalnie i pewnie nie zawsze wyłapię pytania, ale są tu na pewno inni specjaliści, którzy przejmą pałeczkę. Pozdrawiam!
Peer comment(s):

agree Jadwiga Wos : O, ktos mnie wyprzedzil, brawo! Dominanta septymowa, tak jest!
23 mins
dzięki!
agree Rafal Piotrowski : Co zrobić? ;)))
4 hrs
dziękuję i pozdrawiam :-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Dzięki, fenomenalna, znakomita odpowiedź. Będę mieć więcej pytań okazjonalnie - jestem dziennikarzem muzycznym i studentem, piszę o muzyce XX. i XXI. wieku również dla publikacji w PL. Niestety z terminologią polską u mnie średnio (głównie w UK się uczyłem i z angielskich źródeł korzystam). Czasem trafia się więc ślepy zaułek. Jeszcze raz dzięki :)"
-1
28 mins

septyma (stosowana w/przez) chór rewelersów

Rewelersi to najbliższy polski odpowiednik "barbershop quartet". Ewentualnie można napisać "męski kwartet wokalny".

Off-topic: najlepszy mi znany to australijski "Benchmark"; polecam wyszukać na YT :)

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Note added at   34 min (2013-03-31 16:11:20 GMT)
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http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rewelersi
Peer comment(s):

disagree Khanda : septyma to dwudźwięk (interwał), a "barbershop seventh chord" to czterodźwięk.
2 hrs
Kolega wie więcej, chylę czoła. Stąd mój dość niski stopień pewności, pozdrawiam :)
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Reference comments

16 mins
Reference:

barbershop quartet

http://www.proz.com/kudoz/1124085

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Note added at 28 mins (2013-03-31 16:05:10 GMT)
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BARBERSHOP QUARTET ['Kwartet fryzjerski'], męski 4-osobowy zespół wokalny śpiewający bez akompaniamentu, z wykorzystaniem dość prostej harmoniki, sentymentalne piosenki ... - http://goo.gl/XJnOo

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Note added at 41 mins (2013-03-31 16:17:41 GMT)
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The harmonic seventh is also used by Barbershop Quartet singers when they tune dominant seventh chords (harmonic seventh chord), and is an essential aspect of the Barbershop style. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_seventh

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Note added at 43 mins (2013-03-31 16:20:03 GMT)
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One of the defining hallmarks of the barbershop style is the barbershop 7th chord (major-minor 7th (1-3-5- b 7))

http://www.barbershophq.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/7th-C...
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