to sing harmonies in toddler music sessions?

[PrincessPotsie]

Am I turning into one of those annoying mums? I always remember a v annoying dad doing sit ups during 'Row Row Row Your Boat' at a playgroup I once went to. He definitely was BU...

How would someone harmonise to nursery rhymes?

If I heard someone harmonizing at a toddler group I'd probably think they were being a bit showoffy, but it wouldn't bother me - I've have a live and let live attitude - if it makes you happy, why not?

Hubby is a very hands on Dad and joins in any singing activity with gusto. He's such a bad singer though, every now and then he hits notes that harmonise accidentally, it's hilarious!

The simpler the song, and the more it sticks to the basic patterns and notes of the scale, the easier to harmonise - so nursery rhymes are usually straightforward. Roughly speaking, you can harmonise by singing two scale notes above or below the melody, but sometimes three, depending on where you are in the scale. But you need either a natural ear for it, or musical training about how the scale works.

I think it would be really unnecessary and inappropriate to do it on purpose. I run toddler music groups, and on the rare occasions when dads come along and do their best to join in, it's embarrassing because their voice is so much lower than the rest of the room it sounds like they're trying to do a solo (obvs not their fault... !)

Mind you when it comes to Christmas carol concerts I actually find it practically impossible to sing the tune of O Come all ye faithful, having spent my entire youth singing the descant. So is singing the descant when you're NOT in the choir just as bad?

I take great pleasure in singing the alto line of well-known Christmas carols. Now that the children are a decade on from toddler groups,it's a guaranteed method of embarrassing them.

I want to be African Chicken!

Will be singing harmonies and thinking of you lot tomorrow at mums n tots and coincidentally the leaders have asked me to lead the song time from September! Bring it on....

I am roaring with laughter at this thread.

I bloody love a good harmony. I always harmonise in the car or in the kitchen, it's life-affirming and makes you feel fantastic.

So far I have refrained at toddler groups but I say go for it op!

Are you my mum??
YABU and a twat

Why would you even want to do that? Awful idea.

This reminds me of when my BIL leapt onto the stage and harmonised while my DH did Karaoke.......he was 'singing' Combine Harvester by the Wurzels :/

satsuma yes yes!!!

"it's life-affirming and makes you feel fantastic"

:)

So do I PrincessPotsie. And if anyone ever starts a really decent gospel choir anywhere in deepest Surrey, I'll be there like a shot.

Yes it is life affirming, it's lovely to hear.

I really don't get the harmony haterz, if you don't want to do it yourself fair enough, but I dont think it makes you a twat or a show off, I don't think there is any need to cringe for someone over it, it's just a parent enjoying singing with her child at a playgroup.

"There was no giggling or finger pointing"

I wouldn't either if I heard you trying to do this. I'm far too polite. But I would be thinking...

It's attention seeking. They've now just asked you to lead the song time. Ok

I'm not a harmony hater, far from it. But there's a time and a place

There's a time and a place for enjoying singing with your children, and it's not a bloody toddler group.

Hilarious!!!

So good, it's listed twice in Discussions of the Day!

I wouldn't do it, btw. Not in toddler group. And I'm a big fan of harmonies - sang in a choral society on and off for many years, did backing singing in a very small unknown function band, that kind of thing.

It's offputting for children trying to listen to the tune.

I live in quite an 'arty' area. There was a dad who was an 'experimental musician' - if there was a Turner prize for music, he would have entered it- who used to attend quite a few groups. At the library group, after he had annihilated 'There's a worm at the bottom of my garden", the group leader took him to one side for a quiet word.
There followed much huffing from dad talking loudly about his right to his artistic freedom. He stormed out but had to come back 10 mins later as he'd forgotten to take the baby with him.

Oh dear. How embarrassing!

I love this so much. Harmonise away Princess. I think it's great.

My Dh usually sings the tenor or bass line in church even when he's not singing in the choir. At Christmas he has been known to sing the descant in Hark the herald which is excruciatingly embarrassing for me but he is joyous!

Having said that, we are 'those' parents as we sing wind the bobbin, Grand old duke of York etc to dd in the car in harmony. We met in a choir, enjoy singing so why not?

How did song time go op ? Did you harmonise ? Did you get any looks ?

I agree with achickencalledkorma and I now intend to start singing harmonies in protest.

could you pretend to be from South America and then people would just assume that's how you do it there?

Singing should be like people sing the national anthem at football matches. With gusto.

Why stop at classic harmonies?

AndyWarhohl That's the funniest thing I've read on Mumsnet for ages.