close harmony

American  

[klohs] / kloʊs /

noun

Music.

1. harmony in which the voices, excluding the bass, occur within an octave or, sometimes, within the interval of a tenth.

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close harmony British  

/ kləʊs /

noun

1. a type of singing in which all the parts except the bass lie close together and are confined to the compass of a tenth

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Etymology

Origin of close harmony

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The mix of working in close harmony, but entirely individually, chimed with McMurtry.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2024

But “Mr. Tambourine Man” offers an early showcase of the flair for close harmony singing that would define much of Crosby’s work over the decades to come.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2023

Some of the lovingly recreated performances – a trio of chaps in Aran sweaters singing in close harmony, or John and Jean's songs, reminiscent of Peter, Paul and Mary – have a comic edge.

From The Guardian • May 19, 2013

The canticle opens with God issuing his command to Abraham, his voice evoked by the two singers in close harmony.

From New York Times • May 12, 2013

As we left the Temperant tent, the quartet was singing, in close harmony: .

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck