# Can human voice sing chords?



## nikola

I know, it's stupid question, but I wonder... I hear people can sing chords... I mean, that melodies that consist chords you must play with more piano keys at the same time, right? So, how it is still possible for voice to sing chords?

I'm not professional or educated musician, so I'm interested about technical aspect of that out of curiosity.


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## Eschbeg

There is a tradition of polyphonic singing (sometimes called "throat singing") in the regions around Mongolia where singers sustain a long note with their voice and then manipulate the shape of their lips to accentuate the overtones, thereby singing more than one note at a time. Here is an example:






While the singer sustains a low, gravel-ish note with his voice, you'll hear what sounds like whistling. That "whistling" is also coming from his voice; it is the sound of the overtones of the fundamental note he's singing.


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## Larkenfield

Another example of polyphonic singing, and I find it rather mind-blowing:


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## nikola

I probably wasn't too much clear what I meant.

For example, this is original with voice:





This is piano version:





Instead of only one piano key, he also hits chords with right hand.

So, my question is, can she actually sing that 'chord' at once? Is chord more like tone in between those tones or something like that? 
When I listen to her singing, it seems like she can sing chords or is that only an illusion because of other instruments beside her voice replacing those missing key in her voice if chord of the right hand on piano has 2 tones for example. 
Can she sing those 2 tones or she sings only 1 tone and string are playing that other tone from chord?
Although it seems to me that strings are more replacement for left hand.


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## E Cristobal Poveda

absolutely incredible.


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## Majed Al Shamsi

Larkenfield - I remember the first time I saw that video, I thought the lady was possessed. :lol:

nikola - To my ear, it sounds like the lady is singing a single melodic line. I don't hear a second human voice in that part of the piece.
A chord is usually three or more notes, played together, in harmony. An example would be C, E and G, for the C Major chord.
I've seen a few videos on polyphonic singing, with people producing two sounds that are sung independently, but I have yet to see (or hear) someone produce three or more sounds.


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## Siren

Omg she sang at my college for a special treat! She was sooooo cool to meet!


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## Siren

Would anyone have any reading material on the techniques for throat singing or perhaps any resources for such?


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