[Harmony Songs for Duets] Songs that feel great to harmonize

Blue amberback number

back number – Blue Amber [Theme song for the Kansai TV/Fuji TV Monday 10 p.m. drama 'From the Day I Took You']

This back number song gives you such an indescribable feeling, doesn’t it? I think Iyori Shimizu is a genius at creating a sense of heartbreak.

The harmonies in this track are mostly in the chorus.

It’s basically an upper harmony, but the way the ends of phrases drop an octave and other clever choices in the harmonizing really amplify the bittersweet vibe.

In the final chorus, there’s a key change and the pitch goes up, so I think it’s good to sing a bit louder in falsetto so you don’t get overshadowed by the lead vocal.

A lot of people sing back number, so be sure to add these harmonies to your repertoire!

FLYING EASY LOVING CRAZYToshinobu Kubota feat. MISIA

Toshinobu Kubota feat. MISIA – FLYING EASY LOVING CRAZY [Official Video]

It’s a truly dreamlike duet featuring two leading singers who drive Japan’s music scene.

Toshinobu Kubota’s breezy groove blends perfectly with MISIA’s endlessly soaring vocals! The exhilaration born from their back-and-forth vocals feels liberating just to listen to.

The song celebrates a grand, positive love, like lovers sprouting wings and freely dancing across the sky.

Released as a single in March 2008, it was later included on the album “Timeless Fly.” It was also used as the image song for Cirque du Soleil’s “DAIHATSU DRALION,” and its worldview really strikes a chord.

It’s the perfect track for when you want to forget your worries and feel refreshed.

Love’s Melody and Rainy SkiesAAA

AAA / “Love Sound and Rainy Sky” Music Video

AAA’s 38th single, released in September 2013.

It’s a fairly beautiful, medium-slow tempo song, but there’s no way to recreate the original harmonies exactly in karaoke.

The chorus parts seem to be crafted with somewhat complex processing, like pitch-editing techniques.

That said, the harmony itself works by simply adding a part a third above the main melody, so if you have as many people as possible sing to add thickness, you should be able to enjoy it.

Even having everyone sing in unison can make this a song where you can appreciate the richness of the combined voices.

broad daylightKing Gnu

King Gnu – Hakujitsu

It’s a digital-only single by King Gnu released in February 2019.

I haven’t analyzed it in great detail, but it seems like the B-melody and chorus parts use a chorus arrangement that could work as octave-unison lines above and below.

Of course, that alone won’t perfectly reproduce the original, but for karaoke, if everyone sings the lead plus an octave up and an octave down, you can capture the vibe quite well.

It seems like a song where the main vocal—using lots of falsetto and mixed voice—is harder to pull off than the harmonies.

budKobukuro

Kobukuro – Tsubomi

Kobukuro’s “Tsubomi” is also quite a masterpiece, so it’s a song I’d love for you to sing whether solo or as a duo.

Since Kobukuro are a duo, the vocal range is fairly wide at A#2–A#4, and Kuroda’s part is quite low, so if you’re singing with two people, taking Kuroda’s part might be a good idea! By the way, when I sang this song I had a male partner; I left all the main melody to him and stuck to the harmony! The harmonies in this song are beautiful, so if you have a partner, definitely try tackling the harmonies too! Overall, try singing it with a calm vibe so it doesn’t become too forceful.

Goodbye, my beloved.Hana*Hana

Hana*Hana “Goodbye, My Beloved”

A single by the female duo Hana*Hana, released in September 2008.

Many cover versions by various artists have been released since, so it’s likely a song many people have heard.

It’s a beautiful melody that works perfectly even when a woman sings it solo at karaoke, but if you can recreate the original duo arrangement, it will be even more fun.

There are many so-called lower harmony parts—singing below the main chorus line—especially in the hook, so it might be a bit difficult to pick them out by ear.

However, the melody itself isn’t hard to sing, so I hope you’ll work at it, master it, and enjoy it.

You know what,Are-kun & 'Yuika'

You know. / Are-kun & “Yuika” [MV]

A duet song for men and women that you’ll want to remember! It might not be very familiar to some of you, but it’s a cute song, so definitely try learning it! In this track, Are-kun sings the main part, and the harmonies are mostly done by Yuika.

There are call-and-response sections and unison parts too, so I think it’s really fun to sing! One thing to note: Are-kun’s part doesn’t change much in range, but Yuika’s part gets busy—she jumps an octave higher in the chorus and also goes lower at times.

Switching back and forth between head voice and chest voice might be tough to memorize at first, but don’t get discouraged—keep at it!