It is a very puzzling thought when you realize that a lot of people try to talk about harana, but no one seems to know much about it. We know it is singing to a woman, but do we really know how it works? Probably the harana most of us had seen was from the movies, which is quite far from reality. In short, we really don't have a clue.
Harana is a social thing, with some friends supporting the suitor, dressed up in their best. But it isn't just singing under the window of the maiden. I have read in haranista Florante Aguilar's blog that in Cavite, a serenade is a ritual with several stages and I'm thinking it doesn't get completed in one night all the time. Subtlety and respect apparently are champion virtues here, so if you're going to harana, don't leave home without it.