Help Herman the Mermaid

Acappella is singing without instruments and is singing that comes in many shapes and sizes. The phrase was first used in Italian Catholic churches, where Latin was the language for sacred text's the most misunderstood musical term. Many people associate "close harmony" with "acappella," which certainly makes a great deal of sense.

In the 19th century a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony coupled with an ignorance of the fact that vocal parts were often doubled by instrumentalists led to the term coming to mean unaccompanied vocal music.[2] In modern usage, a cappella often refers to an all-vocal group performance of any style, including barbershop, doo wop, and modern pop/rock. Today, a cappella also includes sample/loop "vocal only" productions by producers like Jimmy Spice Curry, Teddy Riley, Wyclef Jean, Mike Tompkins, and other producers.

Contemporary a cappella includes many vocal groups and bands who add vocal percussion or beatboxing to create a pop/rock sound, in some cases very similar to bands with instruments. One such group is Rockapella. There also remains a strong a cappella presence within Christian music, as some denominations purposefully do not use instruments during worship. Examples of such groups are Take 6, Glad and Acappella. Arrangements of popular music for small a cappella ensembles typically include one voice singing the lead melody, one singing a rhythmic bass line, and the remaining voices contributing chordal or polyphonic accompaniment.

A cappella's growth is not limited to live performance, with hundreds of recorded a cappella albums produced over the past decade. A cappella exists in Japan, with groups such as the Gospellers performing. In USA in July 1943, as a result of the American Federation of Musicians boycott of US recording studios, the a cappella vocal group The Song Spinners had a best-seller with "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer". A South-Korean group named Dong Bang Shin Ki (DBSK) or Tong Vfang Xien Qi (TVXQ) was formed in 2003, and currently holds the world record for the biggest fanclub.

Recording artist Brandy Norwood included a song on her 2008 album Human titled "A Capella (Something's Missing)". Brandy uses her voice for background music in this song, showing her capabilities of using her voice as an instrument. No instruments are used, except for maybe an electric guitar, though fans are claiming it to be her synthesized voice.

In 2010, American dance recording artist Kelis released a song called "Acapella" as the first single from her album Flesh Tone. The song is not actually performed a cappella, but rather, explains that before her son was born, her life was without music.

Singing a cappella, whether on your own or in a group, is a great way to showcase your voice. Without the accompaniment of instruments, you really highlight the melody of the song you are singing. There are difficulties, however. Many times, an audience expects a fuller sound during performance than a cappella can provide. Trying to stay in key without a piano can result in some embarrassing performances if you don't rehearse a great deal. The best way to improve your a cappella singing is to perform all you can.

Become a musician instead of simply being a singer. Just as much as a piccolo or clarinet, the voice is an instrument, and a cappella singing requires you to play that instrument well. Take voice lessons from singers who know more than you do and sing scales and perform exercises every day. Warm up your voice each time you sing.

Perform without amplification when you can. While you'll likely sing into a microphone while onstage, listening to your own unamplified voice, or those of your group members, will help you with the intangibles of singing a cappella: figuring out how to fit your voice to others or to the acoustics of the room.

Plug your ear with your index finger while you are rehearsing a particularly difficult passage. Not only will this allow you to use your head as a resonance chamber, ensuring you'll hear the sound you're really making, but you'll also shut out any noise that will distract you from your part.

Listen to the songs being sung without your part if you're in a group. Rotate every few bars as all of you sing the song so each of you can hear the a cappella harmonies minus your note.