Presented by Lindsey Snarr Partridge 2011 UMEA Convention, St.

George
scatlinds@gmail.com lesson adapted from Kirk Marcy, 2006 IAJE TTI
http://lindseypartridge.musicteachershelper.com/home
801.628.9354

Jazz education programs have traditionally been geared toward training instrumentalists, not vocalists.
Often choir directors are coming from a primarily choral background, and have little jazz training. The
following are tips and tools to empower the choral educator, and help them feel like vocal jazz,
specifically scat, is more accessible.

Listening is paramount in performing jazz music. If you dont know what it sounds like, you cant
perform it correctly. The same stands for scat singing.

Assign an artist to each student of which he/she needs to become the authority.
Students can share a brief biography
Share music burn a copy of the CD, and take turns listening
Can do quizzes to ensure theyre listening
Use vocalists and instrumentalists
See the attached sampling of jazz artists (in no particular order).

Dont know the style NEED to listen

Wrong notes BIG fear
Choosing rhythms
Words/syllables
Confidence

Kevin Mahogany Im Walkin from Portrait of Kevin Mahogany album

Syllables
Range
Rhythms
Repetition
Discuss what is heard. Listen together, and point out different elements within the four categories.

Starting work in the 12-bar blues is a simple place to start, as its a familiar chord progression to most
students, and there is a lot of commonality between the chords.


Cup a hand over your mouth connected to the other hand cupped over the ear, creating a direct
pathway from ones mouth to ones ear. Begin ALL scat singing this way.
A safe way to practice
Everyone is participating

NO pitch, ONLY rhythm

Chance to play with syllables. Simple is best. Pair syllables together.
i.e. doo, dah, dee, day, daht, dop, dn, dl, boo, bah, bee, bay, baht, bop, yah, wah, voo,, foo,,
m, n, etc.
Important: RESTS are just as important as notes

Tools for picking notes: repetition, step, skip

Start with whole notes ONLY
If you hit a wrong note, a right one is only a step away (refer to chord progression).
Start with one set of 12 bars Feedback. Repeat process as necessary.
*** Bucket of Wrong Notes Everyone has a bucket of wrong notes they will sing throughout their
lifetime. It is perfectly fine to sing a wrong note. The sooner you sing all of your wrong notes,
the sooner your bucket is empty, and they are all gone.***
Move to half notes Feedback. Repeat process as necessary.
Quarter notes Feedback. Repeat process as necessary.
Eighth notes (swing style) Feedback. Repeat process.

Feedback Any good notes? Any bucket notes? Good rhythms? Share specifics.
Repeat 12 bars unannounced, go for 24, 36 or 48 bars
Get feedback. Ask for specifics about what went well.

Your concert has been selling out every performance (after all, there was only one seat). Consequently,
you have enough money to invest. Youve decided to add a seat to your concert hall Concert Hall for
Two. Thankfully, theres always a dress rehearsal before you open a new show.
Give students a good practice, 36-48 bars

Spread pairs throughout the space. Each pair decide between the two who is going to scat first (paper,
rock scissors is a good, fun and quick way). Each take turns with 12 bars (total of 48 bars).
Feedback Tell me something good you heard in the concert you attended. Allow for lots of
people to respond. Ask for specifics, as best they can offer.
Trade who scats first and repeat process. Students respond with positive things they heard.

RHYTHM IS POWER. If the rhythm is wrong, it sounds and feels wrong, even if the pitch is
correct. If the pitch is wrong, and the rhythm is right, it feels better. Let rhythm be the primary
focus.
 Repetition If you liked it the first time, immediately do it again (and again, and again)! It
provides the listener with some familiarity, and prevents you from having to come up with
something new, and often gets better each time you do it.
Dont scat above your ability level. As confidence improves, the bar will naturally raise itself.
If you hear something you like, steal it. Borrowing an idea from a jazz artist and using it is a
compliment, and considered to be paying it forward.
Dont underestimate the power of the rest. Rests punctuate scat, and give it more meaning. It
also builds anticipation for what will happen next.

Rotate partners, decide who will scat first, repeat the process. Get feedback. As the students hear
positive things going on, they will try to use those things in their own improvisation. Encourage them to
remember rhythm (rests), repetition (including stealing ideas) and simplicity. After 1 or 2 concerts with
that partner, rotate again.

After several sessions, ask for volunteers who would be willing to share a set, 12 bars each. Give them
feedback. Keep all comments positive.

Scat Pass When working individually or as a group, everyone should be expected to

participate. When asking for performances for the class, a scat pass policy should be instated.
Everyone has their bad days, and a bad experience in a solo situation could destroy a students
confidence in trying to improvise.
You (as the teacher) MUST be willing to participate. You can not only provide them a good
example if you are proficient, but more importantly, if you are a novice as well, you making
mistakes gives your students permission to try, fail, and try again. Allow yourself to grow with
them.

When starting to scat to a piece, simply vamp the section to scat over and over. Start with Concert Hall
for One. Continuously get feedback and it will be apparent when the students are ready to try
performing for the class (can skip pairing off). One idea is to draw their names out of a hat to give all
students the chance to try (Remember your scat pass policy.).

Trade 2s or 4s In pairs, students scat 4 bars each (or 2 bars, depending on what you choose),
taking turns. It is a great way to develop short ideas, learn how to borrow others ideas and
make them ones own as well as help develop a conversational style. Its also a great way to
feature several students in one song.
Choose soloist(s) in front of an audience Have all students practice the scat solo for a given
song (a simpler solo is best), and in front of the audience, draw the soloist(s) from the hat. It
impresses the audience that the student is improvising on the spot, and makes them far more
forgiving if a mistake is made.
Give the solo to several people If there are repeat performances, allow several students to
have a chance to solo. If there is only one performance, repeat the solo section several times,
giving many students opportunity to solo. Choir can sing back-up underneath.

Instrumentalists Vocalists Vocal Groups
Instrument/Specialty Artist (scat singers in bold)
piano Oscar Peterson Ella Fitzgerald Lambert, Hendricks and Ross
piano Chick Corea Sarah Vaughn The Real Group
piano Herbie Hancock Billie Holiday Beachfront Property
piano Bill Evans Joe Williams New York Voices
piano Thelonius Monk Billy Eckstine Manhattan Transfer
piano Jelly Roll Morton Dinah Washington Take 6
piano Dave Brubeck Nat King Cole Singers Unlimited
piano, bandleader Duke Ellington Anita O'Day Hi-Lo's
piano, bandleader Count Basie Sheila Jordan
piano, bandleader Thomas "Fats" Waller Harry Connick, Jr.
guitar Russell Malone Shirley Horn
guitar Joe Pass Diane Reeves
guitar Wes Montgomery Kurt Elling
guitar Al DiMeola Diana Krall
bass Eddie Gomez Tony Bennett
bass Ron Carter Chet Baker
bass Christian McBride Jon Hendricks
bass Stanley Clarke Karin Allyson
drums Max Roach Dee Dee Bridgewater
drums Shelley Mann Jane Monheit
drums Buddy Rich Bobby McFerrin
drums Art Blakey Al Jarreau
drums Jeff Hamilton Louis Armstrong
sax Charlie Parker Leo Watson
sax John Coltrane Eddie Jefferson
sax Bob Mintzer Mel Torm
sax Michael Brecker Mark Murphy
sax Coleman Hawkins Kevin Mahogany
sax Lester Young Betty Carter
sax Cannonball Adderley Janet Lawson
sax Sonny Rollins Carmen McRae
trumpet Miles Davis Darmon Meader
trumpet Randy Brecker
trumpet Kenny Dorham
trumpet Louis Armstrong
trumpet Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet, voice Chet Baker
trombone Erbie Green
trombone JJ Johnson
trombone Bill Watrous
trombone Andy Martin
composer, singer, piano Antonio Carlos Jobim

Pandora.com is a great way for students to learn of other artrists. Make a radio station of a given artist
(i.e. Ella Fitzgerald), and Pandora will select other music that is like that artist. Students can quickly
learn music from several artists.

The following is a list of a few of some popular vocal jazz arrangers, a short description of their style, and
where you can find their music. Its important to think about what style you would like, who your strong
soloists are, and what difficulty level would be right for your choir.*

My recommendation to you would be to visit the websites of these publishers and spend some time
listening to clips/viewing samples of their work. Youll be able to find out what will work best for you,
and likely find new arrangers yourself.

If youre having trouble finding literature by these arrangers, your local music dealer could assist you in
finding the publishers and arrangements.

Arranger Description of Style Where Can Purchase

Kirby Shaw Leans toward simplicity. Good for beginners. Hal Leonard
Some arrangements are more for show choir, sheetmusicplus.com
but can find some solid straight ahead jazz a-capella.com
vocal arrangements that are very nice.
Michele Weir Straight ahead jazz, usually with a twist. Very michmusic.com
inventive arrangements with varying degree of
difficulties.
Paris Rutherford Nice arrangements in varying degrees of Hal Leonard
difficulty in the straight ahead jazz genre, and UNC Jazz Press
also some pop arrangements in a jazzy style.
Kerry Marsh Student of Paris Rutherford. Very edgy kerrymarsh.com
arrangements particularly good for festivals. Sound Music Publications
Very inventive with substitute chord changes (smpjazz.com)
and many wordless (scat syllable)
arrangements.
Matt Falker Well put together arrangements in a straight mattfalker.com
ahead jazz genre. Sound Music Publications
Dave Barduhn Excellent vocal arrangements that are not too Sound Music Publications
edgy, more middle of the road, and some pop
tunes. He likes to do pieces with a sense of
humor and he also arranges many of his
original tunes.
Ken Kraintz Good arrangements for your choirs, focuses Sound Music Publications
on beginning to intermediate. A lot of original
music with good and fun messages.
Laurie Cappello-Marcy Much experience with the jr. high and high Sound Music Publications
school voices. Arrangements geared toward
the developing ear/voice.
Darmon Meader and Excellent arrangements, intermediate to Shawnee Press
New York Voices advanced, from top the vocal jazz group. Jazz Alfred Publishing
standards and original jazz tunes with thick ejazzlines.com
chords. Darmon does traditional choral a-capella.com
arrangements as well, with some great
dissonances to help the singer get used to
tuning jazz harmony.
Phil Mattson One of the more respected jazz arrangers. ejazzlines.com
Great arrangements, many on upper difficulty a-capella.com
level. singers.com
Greg Yasinitzky Good charts, intermediate to difficult. Straight ejazzlines.com
ahead jazz genre jazz standards. UNC Jazz Press
Vijay Singh A real mix of songs from blues to bebop, to Sound Music Publications
religious/gospel arrangements in a jazz style.
Good arrangements for you to college level.
Cathy Jensen-Hole Lots of jazz standards with fresh UNC Jazz Press
arrangements, middle of the road jazz. All www.arts.unco.edu/uncjazz
difficulty levels.
Clare Fischer Excellent arrangements, usually difficult, edgy UNC Jazz Press
and creative.
Kirk Marcy Has great arrangements for younger choirs as UNC Jazz Press
well as college level. Good, solid, straight Sound Music Publications
ahead jazz.
Jennifer Shelton Barnes Good arrangements for young choirs, ago UNC Jazz Press
appropriate lyrics.
Steve Zegree Approachable jazz from the beginner to the Shawnee Press
advanced. Straight forward arrangements. Hal Leonard
Alfred Publishing
Deke Sharon More in the a cappella genre, but has some a-capella.com
good straight forward jazz arrangements. Hal Leonard

Gene Puerling One of the great arrangers in legit vocal jazz. Alfred Publishing
Various levels of difficulty. Shawnee Press
*information compiled in part from Kelly Eisenhour, 2007 IAJE Teacher Training Institute

Jazz Singers Handbook, Michele Weir
Vocal Improvisation, Michele Weir
Singing with Style: Jazz Vocal Warm Up, Singing Technique & Vocal Style Singing Lessons, Susan Anders
Blues Scatitudes, Bob Stoloff
Scat!, Bob Stoloff
Guide for Jazz and Scat Vocalists, Denis DiBlasio
Approaching the Standards for Jazz Vocalists, Willie Hill Jr.
The Complete Guide to Teaching Vocal Jazz, Steve Zegree
Vocal Jazz Style, Kirby Shaw
Vocal Jazz, The Art & Technique, Phil Mattson
Jazz and Show Choir Handbook: 2nd Edition, Doug Anderson