Beach Boys double-tracking vocals question

[Aegir]

I assume each note is just a single note on a piano and not the chord.  I suppose it doesn't matter.  I didn't realize everyone sung a different note at once.

Well, you can't sing a chord on your own. Vocal chords are formed by people singing different notes at the same time.

[LetHimRun]

Well, since you all seem to know what you're talking about.  i see this harmony chart
http://www.surfermoon.com/essays/dream_vt.html

I assume each note is just a single note on a piano and not the chord.  I suppose it doesn't matter.  I didn't realize everyone sung a different note at once.  and the / means it goes up an octave?

It does matter. Each letter is a note on a piano like you thought. A chord would consist of Brian's note, Al's note, Carl's note, and Mike's note played/sung at the same time. Each grouping of the four individual notes played together (it doesn't have to be four, it can be two, three, four, five, etc) is a chord. Brian always made beautiful chord changes. So when you hear someone say that, you know what it means.

[Runaways]

It does matter. Each letter is a note on a piano like you thought. A chord would consist of Brian's note, Al's note, Carl's note, and Mike's note played/sung at the same time. Each grouping of the four individual notes played together (it doesn't have to be four, it can be two, three, four, five, etc) is a chord. Brian always made beautiful chord changes. So when you hear someone say that, you know what it means.

cool.  didn't realize harmonies were different notes in a chord. seems so obvious.

[Destroyer]

Plus, one thing to consider is approach.  The authentic double tracking The BBs did was 100% suited to their approach and appeal - that as a vocal pop group.  It sounded like a freakin' choir.  The Beatles' artificial double-tracking and vari-speed methods suited their working styles and sound down to the ground.

[variable2]

Plus, one thing to consider is approach.  The authentic double tracking The BBs did was 100% suited to their approach and appeal - that as a vocal pop group.  It sounded like a freakin' choir.  The Beatles' artificial double-tracking and vari-speed methods suited their working styles and sound down to the ground.

authentic double tracking?

the beach boys double tracked in the exact same way as the beatles.. it's just the beach boys used sometimes up to 5 vocal parts, while the beatles only used 3 at the most.

[Wirestone]

Not true.

The Beatles extensively used Automatic Double Tracking, or ADT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_double_tracking

It used tape delay to create a delayed copy of an audio signal which was then combined with the original. The effect was intended to simulate the sound of the natural doubling of voices or instruments achieved by doubletracking.

Authentic double tracking, or actually singing the parts twice, was used by the Beach Boys (the Beatles used it too, but the ADT effect was pretty much limited to the Beatles at the time).

[Ebb and Flow]

Not true.

The Beatles extensively used Automatic Double Tracking, or ADT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_double_tracking

It used tape delay to create a delayed copy of an audio signal which was then combined with the original. The effect was intended to simulate the sound of the natural doubling of voices or instruments achieved by doubletracking.

Authentic double tracking, or actually singing the parts twice, was used by the Beach Boys (the Beatles used it too, but the ADT effect was pretty much limited to the Beatles at the time).

Only post-1966, and even then only for a couple of songs.  For the most part both groups double-tracked their vocals in exactly the same fashion.

[Wirestone]

Not a couple of songs, either. If you read that article, or "Revolution in the Head," you'll see that the Beatles used it on Revolver and every album subsequently. But they often used it as an effect, not necessarily a replacement to conventional double tracking.

[Chris Brown]

Not a couple of songs, either. If you read that article, or "Revolution in the Head," you'll see that the Beatles used it on Revolver and every album subsequently. But they often used it as an effect, not necessarily a replacement to conventional double tracking.

That's true...in Macca's autobiography, he talks about this and basically says that it was originally done as a time-saving method for recording lead vocals.  But as you said, they didn't do it on every song, and many times they still manually double-tracked.  Each method produces a slightly different sound, so it essentially just became another tool for them to use.

I've never known if the Beatles double tracked their harmony vocals like the Beach Boys...did they? 

[hypehat]

I've never known if the Beatles double tracked their harmony vocals like the Beach Boys...did they? 

Apparently on Here, there, and etc.... probably on And Your Bird Can Sing.... and they triple tracked it on Because. They didn't on the moptop stuff, i think.

[variable2]

Not true.

The Beatles extensively used Automatic Double Tracking, or ADT.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_double_tracking

It used tape delay to create a delayed copy of an audio signal which was then combined with the original. The effect was intended to simulate the sound of the natural doubling of voices or instruments achieved by doubletracking.

Authentic double tracking, or actually singing the parts twice, was used by the Beach Boys (the Beatles used it too, but the ADT effect was pretty much limited to the Beatles at the time).

Fair enough, you're right.  I got a little thrown off by the terms used (automatic/authentic/artificial).

[Wirestone]

"Because," too. There, they overdubbed three sets of voices three times -- so there are nine voices on the track. And that was authentic as could be.   

[Wilsonista]

I've never known if the Beatles double tracked their harmony vocals like the Beach Boys...did they? 

Please Please Me (the LP) wasn't - all but 4 of those tracks were cut  over the course of a 10 hour work day.  Everything starting with With The Beatles is double-tracked, save for the Get Back/Let It Be-era.