scat singing
Jazz nonsense syllables
Scat singing is a style of jazz vocal improvisation using nonsense syllables—sounds like "doo-ba-dee-bop" or "shoo-be-doo-wah"—instead of words.
The voice becomes an instrument, trading melody lines like a saxophone or trumpet.
Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald popularized the technique: She broke into scat, her voice weaving through the horn section.
Fast, complex jazz style
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- Louis ArmstrongPioneering jazz trumpeter, singer
- vocaleseLyrics set to solos
- blue notesMicrotonal jazz pitches
Ella Fitzgerald · Dizzy Gillespie · jam session · standards · big band · jazz club · cabaret · nightclub
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- syllablesUnits of pronunciation
- phrasingManner of expressing something
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
- riffsRepeated melodic figures
licks · ornamentation · call and response · vocal runs · melisma · freestyle · syncopation · modulation
Stressed unexpected beats
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- grooveNarrow cut or routine
- tempoRate of musical performance
- beatRhythmic pulse or strike
pulse · cadence · polyrhythm · backbeat · timing · accentuation · upbeat · downbeat
Acting without forethought
- playfulnessLighthearted, frisky spirit
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- musicalitySensitivity to tune, rhythm
- virtuosityExceptional technical skill
showmanship · whimsy · exuberance · energy · joy · wit · humor · personality
Sound's distinctive character
- vibratoOscillating pitch effect
- falsettoArtificially elevated singing register
- pitchFrequency of sound
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
belting · intonation · articulation · vocal range · tenor · soprano · alto · baritone
bebop
Fast, complex jazz style
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- Louis ArmstrongPioneering jazz trumpeter, singer
- vocaleseLyrics set to solos
Ella Fitzgerald · Dizzy Gillespie · blue notes · jam session · standards · big band · jazz club · cabaret · nightclub · Sarah Vaughan
improvisation
Spontaneous, unplanned creation
- syllablesUnits of pronunciation
- phrasingManner of expressing something
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
riffs · licks · ornamentation · call and response · vocal runs · melisma · freestyle · syncopation · modulation · doo-wop
syncopation
Stressed unexpected beats
beat · pulse · cadence · polyrhythm · backbeat · timing · accentuation · upbeat · downbeat · meter
spontaneity
Acting without forethought
- playfulnessLighthearted, frisky spirit
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- musicalitySensitivity to tune, rhythm
virtuosity · showmanship · whimsy · exuberance · energy · joy · wit · humor · personality · charisma
timbre
Sound's distinctive character
- vibratoOscillating pitch effect
- falsettoArtificially elevated singing register
- pitchFrequency of sound
resonance · belting · intonation · articulation · vocal range · tenor · soprano · alto · baritone · breath control
- singingsoprano, lead vocals, vocalist, alto, backing vocals
- American Singingspirituals, blues, country, gospel, barbershop
- improvisingad-lib, ad-libbing, riff, riffing, jamming
- vocal musicsong, vocals, soprano, tenor, alto
- jazzbebop, swing era, hard bop, soul jazz, cool jazz
- 1920s Musicjazz, ragtime, Charleston, Dixieland, blues
scat singinglieder
Archaic word for songs
art song · recitative · spoken word · lyrics · torch song
singer, singing, sung, sings, scat, songbird, songster, songbirds, songbook