Some

Thoughts
AboutSINGII\G JAZZ

We tend to say that jazz is improvisation on

ty to improvise, technical knowledge*can be devel_
the melody or chord progressionsof a tune. yet jazz
o p ed .
singers like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and
Actual voice quaiity may be totally irrclevant.
Chet Baker often sing perfectly straigJrt,while Barbra
Anything goes, frorn the growl of pianist_singer
Streisand,who often changesthe melody, is strictly
Jimmy Rowles to the near-operaticinstrument
non-jaz.z.People like Frank Sinatra and peggy Lee, of
Sarah Vaughan,as long as it expressesthe individual
rvlto seem to straddlc the fence, are perhaps jazz_
conception. Develop the style that goes with yozir
oriented singers.
voice.When style and voicc ntatch, you can forge
t the
volce, at lcast in performance,and become
Basic to the processof makingjazz is a sense involveci
with the nrusic.In private,vocalizingto develop
of freedom relative to the melody, the harmony, the rangc
and to create different qualities can give you
rhythm, the tone color, and the lyric. But havine the a very
valuable tool. A wide range and good breath
t r e e d o m t o i n : p r o v i s e t. h e j a z z s i n g e r / m u s i c i a m control
n ay rvili enableyou to cary out a phrasethe way you
ihoose not to.The jazz musicianinsistson expressing in-
tend and will also help your intonation.
.rot just his "personality" but his individuality, which
Good intonation, i.e., the ability to sing in
:omes from deep insideand may or may not result in
tune, is of prime importance.The vocal cords are
;urface brilliance. He insists upon maintaining, de_ tiny
muscles% to % of an inch long; the entire range
reloping and exploring the relationshipbetween him- of
vocal soundsis produced by means of minute adjust-
;elf and the music. And it is that relationship which
ments in these muscles,which are not under direct
re offers to his audience.This beginsto explain the
control but respond to the ear. you can help
lifference between the jazz singerand the pop singer. thcse
muscles to respond through practice. Strangely
fhe jazz singerusesan indiv.idualisticstyle to present e_
nough, there are musically-giftedsingerswho
ris music to the audience. singjust
slightly below pitch all the tinre. And yet this
fault
The jazz singer is always creatively involved can be correctedif you listen to the accompaniment
tith the music of the song. Good musicianship then,
with p.itch-accuracy in mind, feeting the pitch,
s the first requisite. The various elements of good and
relating the soundsinside your head to the
nusicianship-intonation,time, harmonic sense.abili- sound of
the accompaniment.Feel that you are ..on
top,, of
the pitch. Your voice,like the instrumentsin an or-
chestra,can be "tuned up" eachtime you sing-and
may haveto be.
A more difficult problemis intonationwhich
is basicallygood but faulty in spots.Two kinds of
exercise arerecommended:
l. Practicescales,arpeggiopatterns,and intervals-
thirds and sixths; fourths and fifths; sevenths,
whole tones, and semitones.Feel the intervals.
Practicervith a tunedpiano,payingstrictattention
until your voiceobeysyour ear.
2. Practiceeachsongthe sameway,phraseby phrase.
You will probablydiscoverspecificplaceswhere
you are likely to go olT. For example: on semi-
tones,or on the first note of a phrase,or in a suc-
cessionof repeatednotes,or on a note that is not
.in the basicscaleof the piece,or wherethe melody
turnsbackon a largeskip.
It will probablytakesometime to correctthis
problem. It may never be completelysolved,but
good improvementcan come quickly. You are re-
sponsiblefor your intonationand for everyaspectof
your singing.
Many peopledon't like the ideaof practicing.
But anotherword for "practice"is "sing,"andif you
don't like the ideaof singing,betterforgetthe whole
thing.The prime rule must be: SING.Singand sing
andsing.
There are other important aspectsof good
musicianship. Good "time." the precise,intimate
relation to the beat, is vital. If your rhythmic co-
ordinationis poor, the remedyis the famiLiarone:
listen deeply and practice.The study of Dalcroze
Eurhythmicscan help to improve your rhythmic
expression.
Technicalknowledgeis essential. You should
have a knowledgeof keys and their sigrratures, of
scales,chords, and chord symbols.Keep a list of
songs.Know your keys.(It is a good ideato staybe-
tween I sharp [G] and 4 flats [Ab ], unlessyou are
sureof havingvery skilled accompanists.) Both ear-
are
training and sight-reading important. Leam to use
the piano, no matter how haltingly.You are way
aheadif you canpick out melodiesand chords,trans-
late chord symbols,and really understandharmonies.
All this will give you a valuableindependence that
will be especiallyhelpful when learningand perform-
ing a new song.You will be able to find your own
keys,developyour own routine,and evenmakeyour
own leadsheets.
When adding a songto your repertoire,there
ares('veraI
basicconsidcrations:
l. How does the tune relate to your vocalrange?
What sonorityis desirablcfor your interpretation?
Do you want to increasethe brillianceby raising
the key or soilen it by lorveringthe key? Will
you want to changekeysat any point?(lf the tune
is too rangy,notescaneasilybe substitutedto con-
densethe span.)
2. Whensettingthe routineof a song,considerwheth-
er you wish to singone or morechoruses, to leave
spacefor instrumentalchoruses,to add a "tag"
(an addedsectionof perhaps4 or 8 bars,or cven
more) at the end. If you aregoingto do two cho-
ruses,what's the differencebetweenthefirst and
the second?If there is no difference,rvhy do the
second?
3. Do you want to singthe verse? Will your acconpa-
nist know the verscs,or obscuresongs?Some
musicianslove good songsand seekthemout; oth-
ers prefer to re-workthe samefew tunesover and
over.
4. Do you want to kecp the sametempo tlrrough-
out? Do you want to take some passages out of
tempo ("ad lib." or "rubato") or use the tradi-
tional tempo? You can provide a difi-erentef-
fect by changingthe tcmpo singinga ballad in
a bouncy tempo,or an "up tune" slowly.You can
make this more effective by takirg the time to
think of a correspondingly changed dramatic
attitude. For example,a sorrowfulballadcan be
changedfrom "poor me" to "dammit!" "I love
you and it's pure poetry" can become"I loveyou
and it's a gas!"Of course,the tempocanbe changed
without justilicationbut your performance wrll be
more interestingand compellingif you matchthe
attitude expressed in the lyric to the musicalone.
Don't neglectthe lyric in the nameof jazz or you
will rob yourself and your audienceof musical
valuesas well as direct emotionalcontent.Billie
Holiday often used improvisation to point up a
lyric, giving a little twist to lend emphasisto cer-
tain words. In addition, the soundsof the lyric
have their own music, and the consonantshave
their own rhythm. You curtail your own enjoy-
ment as well as your expressive possibilities
if you
ignore this aspectof the words.Take a lessonfrom
songwriters-often the simplest, most effective
singerswho leameclto singin orderto demonstrate
their songsto publishers.They really want that
lyric and that melodyto be heard.
5. Will you improvise?How much?Can you deliver,
the lyric while improvising?
Improvisation is unquestionablyone of the
key elementsin jaz.z and it is unique to this form.

Thereforemost of this book is devotedto it. The
initial statemcntof a theme may be playedstraight
dr nearll so (there is almostalwayssome freedom
with the phrasing,a note or two of alteredmelody).
But come the secondchorus,or the second8-bar
section, and the jazzmanis generallyturning things
inside out, exploringthe impicationsof the melody
or the chords. So even if you have no intention of
being a full-fledgedirnprovisingjazz singer,it may be
worth while to developsome ability along this line.
Broadeningyour experienceis always productive, if
only to know what you arerejecting.
Improvising is in some ways more difficult
for the singerthan for the instrumentalist.Once an
instrumentalist learns the chord progressionsof a
particular tune or certain standardpattems, he has
mechanicalaids (keys, frets, finger pattems) to help
him play what is "correct"; the singer has only his
ear. More important, the singeris to a greateror lesser
extent bound by the lyric, which imposesa distinct
economy.
Specific su€gestionsfor improvisation are
" understanding.The key, as always,is singing.Remem-
included with each song in this book, but a few
general tips may help you get started. Look at the
chords in the accompaniment (the changes are
indicated abovethe melody line, with greateror les
accuracy).As long as a given chord remains,instead
of singing the melody note written, you can sing
any other note in the chord. Nor are you restricted
to the chord as written. The jazz pianist often adds
a 6th, a 7th, or a 9th to a simpletriad; you cantoo.
It is possiblethoughnot easyto useany note in the
scaleto which the chord belongs,and somechromatic
tones.The choiceis largelydictatedby the duration
of the note which is relatedto the speedof the pae
sage.Herearesomewaysto begin:
O Pick any note in the written chord and start
your phrasethere.
O Start your phraseon the melodynote but pro-
ceedto a differentnote.
O Reversethe contour of the melody line. When
the melodygoesup, try goingdown.
O Usea notean octaveaboyeor belowthe melody.
O Add bendsto a predominantlystraigJrtmelodic
line.
O Simplifya complicated melodicline into a series
of swingrngrepeatednotes(asBillieHoiidaydid
so wonderfully on tunes ltke "Them There
Eyes"and "MissBrownto You").
O Usea rhythm which stronglycontrastswith the
written one. Start on a differentbeat.This can
be particularly effectiveif the tune you aresing-
ing falls into a numberof short phrasesso that
you are, in effect, singing"answers"to the writ-
7
ten melody.
In the interest of swinging,and/or of building an
O
interesting ryhthmic pattern, add extra notes
(which may mean adding extra words, repeating
a word or two, or singing more than one note
per syllable; this can be done in either a fresh
or clichd fashion).
O Omit a few notes (and words).
Jazz musicianstend to increasethe complex-
ity of their improvisationsfrom chorus to chorus or
throughout one chorus-perhaps until the last 8-bar
section, when they may suddenly simplify by using
many repeatednotes.This strips the melody of every-
thing but rhythm and attack; it createswhat used to
be called "hot" ph-rasing. The word has gone out of
style but happily the practiceremains.
You can create, on paper or in your head, a
dozen different melodies to one song. Devising
improvisational melodies will sharpen your ear,
develop your imagination, and deepen your musical
ber that prime rule: SING. Sing your improvised
melodiesuntil thcy becomehabitual. Than use these
as a jumping-off point for more.
Don't be afraid of doing something wrong.
Someonehas said, "Experienceis nothing but a series
of mistakes." And jazz pianist Marian McPartland
says, "Heavens, I don't think a rJ,ay'scomplete
unless I've donc soniething wrong." (The National
Public Radio series"Marian McPartland'sPiano J azz"
is highly recontncnded listening.) Perhapsthe great-
est wrong may be to avotd trying something that
might be right for you becauseof fear.
On the other hand, don't think you MUST
improvise. A lot of the "jazz" in jazz singing derives
fronr the intonation, tone quality, attack, and phrae
ing or swinging.The jazz singer,like the jazz instru-
mentalist, almost ncver usesthe phrasingthat is writ-
ten, partly becausehe learnsmost of the tunes by ear
fronr otlrers who also learnedit by ear.J azz phrasing
abounds in anticipations and delays, syncopations
and tied notes. The rhythnts may approach those of
speech.These rhythms, however, are not at all hap-
hazard or arhythntic. They are very precise,but dif-
ficult to write. In a ballad, he usually phrasesbehind
the beat; the important word tends to fall on beat 2,
with an unimportant precedingword such as "the" or
"to" on beat l. Strangely,this doesn't throw a false
emphasis;rather it tends to smooth out the phrase.
In general,landing on beats 2 and 4 (in the
4-beat measurecustomarilyemployed in jazz) sw.ings;
landing on I and 3 doesn't (except perhapsat very
fast tempos).
 8

Unlessthe basicbeat is some kind of Latin or rock rhythm, a succession

of eighth notes is invariabl
played as a dotted rhythm. or more accuratelyas /riplet figures:
-J ---- - 3 -=-
) ) ) ) a,,d.l) .NJ ) p l a y e da s
J )J.l)
The lazz singer'stendencyto introduceail sortsof little syncopations
andto singin f ratherthan !
resultsin subtle but distinctchanges.
For example,Lee wiley changedRodgersand Hart'ssmoothlyflowingj
ballad"Herein My Anrs" into a gentlysrvinging t:ottodby introducingone
f, smalldottedrhythnt andseveral
anticipations
.inthc first phrase.

As wnttcn:

q' d
)- |
)
|
)
|

l" ) )
J

lt . Jt-_LJ
IJere in my arms it's a - dor - a ble -

As sung:

4l il . r\ . ) f rl
4 o----'
Herc- in nty
.-Jd
artrs _
l,
aa
it's a
I
l_l_J) L;-_l-J
dor-a ble

Sirc gavea similar lift to vi'cent younans' "riise ir" Srrine" r. thc secondphrasc.

As written: As strrrg:
I rll '
,h
\ 'r a
I . d_l ll 4 t tt
t,). il) | ll
. la . I n i . o i ._ tr
Stand up and take it. Stanrl up antl take jt. _

This is the kind of inflectionthat happensby instinct.It canalsobe developed.

In general,
you wil
swingbetterby keepingthe wholefeellight. Learnhow to force a rhythrn
alongby givingir a genle push.

This shouldnot be construedas work-it's singing,and singingis as

much lun as any activity yor
canname.So hereagainis that primerule: SING.

Sing all the time sing with the radio,with records,with the cannecl
musicin grocerystoresan(
elevators'sing with the piano.Singto your own accompanirnent. sing without accompanrment.
Singall the time
If singingis not first natureto you, singand singuntil it is secondnature.

My secondrule is: PRACTICE.sing,and practicesingilg,until it bccomes

your naturalexpression
asnaturaland inescapable
asbreathing.

The basicrepertoireofjazz singingis prctty well established.

It consists
mos y oi..standardsand
showtunes" plus a few "originals"by jazzmusicians. Explorethis world of classicsongs,both well-knownand far-
out-it's a greatpleasure.

Tliis book containsa selectionof greatsongsall of which are very popular

tn the jazzrepertoire.
some take a lot of improvising,somevery little. Eachis precedecl
by somesuggestions for rmprovising,alongwith
examplesfrom recordedperformances. All examplesare transposecl into the song,spublishedkey for your con-
venience.

Standardsongstend to be 32 barslong,built.in four S-barsections.

Thesesectionsarereferredtots
the first 8, the second8, the bridge,or release,
or channel,(or "second16," il the tunehasno bridge-see..A
gy Day" and "Love Is Hereto Stay") and the last 8 (which Fog-
may be extendedby 2, 4, or more barsbut is still
calledthe last8-see "A FoggyDay,'and ..My Funny Valentine,,).