WOU Jazz Improvisation Class: Week 2 – Hear, Sing, Play

Professional jazz musicians develop a variety of skills that are needed to

successfully navigate the demands placed upon them on stage, at rehearsals and
in the recording studio. One of those skills is the ability to hear a piece of music
and quickly determine the form of the song as well as the anatomy of the chord
changes and melody. This information allows the jazz musician to improvise over
the song with freedom and conviction..

Aural skills and ear training play a fundamental roll in developing thing ability.
Quite often, instrumentalists will use their voice to sing along with a new piece of
music to get it in their ear. Once they can sing the new piece of music with their
voice, they are able to transfer that knowledge to their instrument with greater
effeiciency.

Jazz musicians will regularly “scat” along with the recording of a song so they can
experiment with notes, rhythms and phrasing they will later attempt to play when
improvising on their instruments. Most prominent jazz vocalistst incorporate
scatting into their performnaces. Sometimes, you will find that even jazz
instrumentalists will opt to sing or scat a jazz solo instead of playing It on their
instrument if they feel like it is more suitable for the given occastion. There is no
formal training or single way to learn/teach how to scat. Focus on imitating the
phrasing of great instrumentalists/singers to become one!

Below are written examples of scat solos sung by histroically famous

instrumentalists and vocalists:
But Not for Me – Chet Baker (scatting)
YouTube Links for scatting examples:

1) Armstrong Trumpet Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59L3OuH5r44

2) Armstrong Vocal Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgNFyL_st9s

3) Chet Baker Trumpet Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_f_mMJAezM

4) Chet Baker Vocal Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlIqWyDa4VQ

5) Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHsGqxqxTio