Scat singingFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaElla Fitzgerald is generally considered to be one of the greatest scat singers in jazz history.[1]

In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing is a difficult technique that requires singers with the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium.

Contents

1 Characteristics 1.1 Structure and syllable choice 1.2 Humor 2 History 2.1 Origins 2.2 Later development 2.3 Use in hip-hop 3 Music historical explanations 4 Critical assessment 5 Notes 6 See also 7 References 8 Works cited 9 External links

CharacteristicsStructure and syllable choice

Though scat singing is improvised, the melodic lines are often variations on scale and arpeggio fragments, stock patterns and riffs, as is the case with instrumental improvisers. As well, scatting usually incorporates musical structure. All of Ella Fitzgerald's scat performances of "How High the Moon", for instance, use the same tempo, begin with a chorus of a straight reading of the lyric, move to a "specialty chorus" introducing the scat chorus, and then the scat itself.[2] Will Friedwald has compared Ella Fitzgerald to Chuck Jones directing his Roadrunner cartoon�each uses predetermined formulas in innovative ways.[2]

The deliberate choice of scat syllables also is a key element in vocal jazz improvisation. Syllable choice influences the pitch articulation, coloration, and resonance of the performance.[3] Syllable choice also differentiated jazz singers' personal styles: Betty Carter was inclined to use sounds like "louie-ooie-la-la-la" (soft-tongued sounds or liquids) while Sarah Vaughan would prefer "shoo-doo-shoo-bee-ooo-bee" (fricatives, plosives, and open vowels).[4] The choice of scat syllables can also be used to reflect the sounds of different instruments. The comparison of the scatting styles of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan reveals that Fitzgerald's improvisation mimics the sounds of swing-era big bands with which she performed, while Vaughan's mimics that of her accompanying bop-era small combos.[5][a]Humor

Humor is another important element of scat singing. Cab Calloway exemplified the use of humorous scatting.[6] Other classic examples of humorous scatting include Slim Gaillard, Leo Watson, and Bam Brown's 1945 "Avocado Seed Soup Symphony," in which the singers scat variations on the word "avocado" for much of the recording.[7] In addition to such nonsensical uses of language, humor is communicated in scat singing through the use of musical quotation. Leo Watson, who performed before the canon of American popular music, frequently drew on nursery rhymes in his scatting. This is called using a compression.[8] Ella Fitzgerald, who perf

ormed later, was able to draw extensively on popular music in her singing. For example, in her classic 1960 recording of "How High the Moon" live in Berlin, she quotes over a dozen songs, including "The Peanut Vendor", "Heat Wave", "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes".[9]

The scat-style lyrics of the song "Solar Prestige A Gammon," written by Bernie Taupin with music by Elton John and released on the latter's album Caribou in 1974, include the names of many varieties of fish. However, since the lyrics were written and not improvised during a performance, they are not a true example of scat improvisation.