Scat Singing: (Vocal Improvisation)

Scat
Singing
(Vocal Improvisation)
How to “doo bee doo bap.”
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How to “doo bee doo bap”
Introduc.on to Scat Singing
Scat singing is vocal improvisa.on with wordless syllables,

combining improvised melodies, mo.fs and rhythmic pa;erns
using the voice as an instrument.

Sca=ng is when you "sing" nonsense syllables and sounds (for
example – “doo bee doo bap”, “dap pa doo bee”, etc) as if you
were an instrument.

It is the ul.mate crea.ve, spontaneous expression for a vocalist,
allowing them the sorts of unplanned melodies and solos that you
can't have with pre-‐wri;en lyrics.
District of Columbia Public Schools | 2


Scat Singing – Vocal Improvisa.on
Vocal improvisa.on is another term for scat singing or sca=ng. Vocal
jazz improvisa.on is similar to instrumental Jazz or Blues in that the
improviser spontaneously invents melodic lines over the chord
progression of a song.

Both singers and players aim to achieve the following:

•  Improvising melodic lines that are inven.ve and work well within the
chord progression.
•  Making the music feel good rhythmically.
•  Sounding conversa.onally expressive as though the improviser is

telling a story in real .me.

Scat Singing
Jazz ambassador Louis

Armstrong, improvised with
intelligence, passion and wit,
yet never lost sight of his lyrics.

He is widely known as the cat
who first sca;ed “ooh bop sha
bam” aSer his sheet music hit
the studio floor.


Sca=ng: The 12-‐Bar Blues
Learning the 12-‐bar blues form is essen.al, and “Centerpiece”

by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross is an excellent simple blues to
begin with.
Prac.ce sca=ng four bars of melody, then four bars of
improvisa.on; repeat through the 12 bars several .mes. Use
the syllables “doo bah doo bah do” or “da bah da bah da,” and
try to think like an instrumentalist (horn player or pianist).


Sca=ng: Sample Scat Words

Encourage your students to create their own scat words – begin with one
syllable, then two syllables, etc


Sca=ng: Prac.ce “Call-‐and-‐Response”
Try mimicking actual sung lyrics, but

You need to get used to don't use the words. Prac.ce
your voice not as a speaking capturing the singer's melody with
mechanism but as an random syllables instead of words
instrument. As you first to get used to scat.
start, limit yourself to
copying your favorite As you improve, start copying
singers. Play a couple bars of instruments and other lines with
scat singing, then try to your mouth, using whatever
repeat it back verba.m to syllables come to mind to replicate
start learning sounds, tricks, the sound. There is no noise, when
and melody construc.on. sca=ng – nothing is wrong!


Sca=ng: Call-‐and-‐Response
The easiest way to introduce scat singing to a group is through
call-‐and-‐response. No experience or special prepara.on is
required – the prac.ce is simply to listen to phrases sung by
the teacher / leader and repeat aSer each phrase. Call-‐and-‐
response is generally fun and pain free since no on is out on
the spot to perform as a soloist.

A varia.on in call-‐and-‐response is to assign a qualified student
(or several, one at a .me) to lead calls. The leader of the calls
should keep ideas limited to one-‐, two, or four-‐bar phrases.


Sca=ng: Musical Games
Scat singing is a perfect vehicle for the crea.on of game-‐like
educa.onal ac.vi.es that promote the growth and development of
students.

One challenge of working with musical games is for students to keep
their focus on the music, always carefully listening as they sing and
maintain high musical standards in the process. Musical games can be
so much fun that the students are easily distracted from the task at
hand.

Teachers must ensure that each game in its own way will have a
beneficial effect on different aspects of musicianship and sca=ng. For
example – the ques.on/answer game will help students to define,
confine and conclusively end a musical idea rather than allowing it to
trail on aimlessly.

Sca=ng: Musical Games (Ques.on & Answer)
This game is played in groups of

two at a .me. The first person asks
a musical ques.on and the second
person provides the answer. (This is
all played out through sca=ng with
no words). Once the first pair of
singers have exchanged one or two
sets of ques.on/answer, process to
the next pair in the circle.

This ac.vity is most successful if the
ques.ons end with the pitch going
up and the answers end with the
pitch direc.on going down.


Sca=ng: Start with simple rhythmic syllables
Focus on the melody instead of new

sounds. As you begin improvising your
own sca;ed lines, start with a couple
of “accepted” scat words and
syllables.

Simple, percussive noises are the
easiest way to start, using sounds like
“bap,” “beep,” “ski,” “do,” etc.
You are not trying to say anything, just
playing with musical notes, not words.

Sca=ng is an intensely rhythmic art form.

When you scat, your voice is both percussive (like a drum) and
melodic (like a trumpet, piano, etc.). As such, you must be able to
stay in .me while you improvise, holding to the beat like any
other instrument. While good singers should already feel
comfortable with this, newbies must prac.ce with a metronome
or backing track to get use to staying on .me at all .mes.

Always start at a speed you can keep up with comfortably. While
you can set any rhythm you want, most scat is over a 4/4 "swing
feel" of jazz. That said, prac.cing improvising syllables on the
spot without music or metronome is s.ll a valuable skill. You just
need to train your ear so that you can snap to a backing band
when the chance arises.

Sca=ng: Rhythmic Variety
Once you feel comfortable with

straighkorward rhythms, it is .me
to start playing with shorter, but Rhythmic variety is about
more complex, phrases. Duplets are playing with the beat to
simply two sounds thrown quickly create tension and surprise.
together ("da-‐DA!"), and triplets are
three sounds ("BEEP-‐da-‐BOP"). Alterna.ng different types
of rhythms is a great way to
Instead of using straight quarter craS a complex, enjoyable
notes, where you have one sound scat solo without crazy
per beat (1, 2, 3, 4), start stringing
notes or vocal range.
together these other phrases,
leaving spaces in between them for
a bouncy, swinging feel.


Sca=ng: How does it work for classical singers?
As a warm up, read music but ignore the lyrics, aim to
sound like a wind instrument or a rock guitar.

Scat through your vocal solos to bridge classical singing
and sca=ng. If you are classically trained, there is no
reason to abandon your skills just to start sca=ng. Run
through your exercises, scales, and warm-‐ups with
improvised syllables and sounds, and start pu=ng your
vocal scales to music.


Sca=ng: Resources – Listen to Scat singers for early inspira.on
"Perdido,” “Scat Blues,” “Shulie a Bop” by Sarah Vaughan,

"Them There Eyes,” “How High the Moon” by Ella Fitzgerald,
"Heebie Jeebies,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Louis Armstrong.
Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: “Everybody’s Boppin’”
Anita O’Day: “Tea for Two”

Listen to Ella Fitzgerald closing out “Tenderly,” a dear, calm and
loving song with a deep and almost monstrous scat sound. It
complements her smooth tone with an unexpected burst of passion
and power.

Sca=ng isn’t about sounding human.


Scat Singing
Ella Fitzgerald was an African-‐American jazz

vocalist oSen referred to by honorific nicknames
such as the "First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of
Jazz". "Lady Ella" a;racted notoriety for her purity
of tone, impeccable dic.on, lyrical phrasing, and
vocal intona.on; her instrument-‐like
improvisa.onal ability with her voice, par.cularly in
her scat singing, proved popular with many
audiences. Many cri.cs of the .me regarded her as
one of the best female vocalists s.ll making music.

Louis Armstrong was an African-‐American jazz
singer and trumpeter as well as composer who
ended up being one of the most pivotal and
influen.al figures in jazz-‐related styles and popular
music. Coming to prominence first as an inven.ve
player, Armstrong a;racted no.ce for shiSing the
focus in his records from collec.ve improvisa.ons
to turn-‐by-‐turn solo performances. Like Fitzgerald,
Armstrong picked up popular nicknames, in his case
"Pops" and "Satchmo.”

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Scat

How to “doo bee doo bap.”

Introduc.on to Scat Singing

Scat singing is vocal improvisa.on with wordless syllables,

District of Columbia Public Schools | 2

Scat Singing – Vocal Improvisa.on

Both singers and players aim to achieve the following:

• Making the music feel good rhythmically.

• Sounding conversa.onally expressive as though the improviser is

Jazz ambassador Louis

District of Columbia Public Schools | 4

Sca=ng: The 12-­‐Bar Blues

Learning the 12-­‐bar blues form is essen.al, and “Centerpiece”

District of Columbia Public Schools | 5

Sca=ng: Sample Scat Words

District of Columbia Public Schools | 6

Sca=ng: Prac.ce “Call-­‐and-­‐Response”

Try mimicking actual sung lyrics, but

District of Columbia Public Schools | 7

District of Columbia Public Schools | 8

Sca=ng: Musical Games

Sca=ng: Musical Games (Ques.on & Answer)

This game is played in groups of

District of Columbia Public Schools | 10

Sca=ng: Start with simple rhythmic syllables

Focus on the melody instead of new

District of Columbia Public Schools | 11

Sca=ng is an intensely rhythmic art form.

Sca=ng: Rhythmic Variety

Once you feel comfortable with

District of Columbia Public Schools | 13

Sca=ng: How does it work for classical singers?

District of Columbia Public Schools | 14

Sca=ng: Resources – Listen to Scat singers for early inspira.on

"Perdido,” “Scat Blues,” “Shulie a Bop” by Sarah Vaughan,

District of Columbia Public Schools | 15

Ella Fitzgerald was an African-­‐American jazz

District of Columbia Public Schools | 16

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•  Making the music feel good rhythmically.

•  Sounding conversa.onally expressive as though the improviser is

Sca=ng: The 12-‐Bar Blues

Learning the 12-‐bar blues form is essen.al, and “Centerpiece”

Sca=ng: Prac.ce “Call-‐and-‐Response”

Ella Fitzgerald was an African-‐American jazz