What Does ‘Scat’ Mean in Jazz Music?

Scat singing is a vocal technique in jazz music where the singer improvises using nonsense syllables instead of actual lyrics.

The Meaning of Scat

Scat singing is a vocal technique where the singer improvises using vocal sounds and syllables instead of words. It is often used in jazz music. The term “scat” comes from the word “scatology,” which means the study of excrement.

Scat singing

Scat singing is a vocal style in jazz where the singer improvises using nonsense syllables instead of actual lyrics. The style developed in the early twentieth century and was popularized by artists such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Scat singing allows the singer to show off their vocal dexterity and creativity, and it is considered one of the most challenging styles of jazz singing.

Scatting

In jazz, scatting is improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. It often employs rhythms, sounds and pitch inflections not found in formal speech. Scat singing is a vocal technique that requires the singer to sing improvised melodies and vocalise using meaningless syllables instead of actual lyrics. This encourages the singer to focus on the sound and rhythm of their voice rather than on the lyrical meaning of the words.

The History of Scat

Scat singing is a vocal style where the singer improvises using their voice as an instrument. This style of singing was popularized in the 1920s and 1930s by singers such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Scat singing is still used today in jazz music. Let’s learn more about the history of scat.

Early scat singers

The first scat singing on record was by Connie Boswell of the Boswell Sisters, who recorded “I Found a New Baby” in 1931. Ella Fitzgerald popularized scat singing with her 1938 recording of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”, which sold more than a million copies, and she continued to perform and record scat tunes throughout her career. Other early jazz singers who used scat syllables in their improvisations included Adelaide Hall, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Chu Berry, and Art Tatum.

The rise of scat in jazz

In the early days of jazz, musicians would often improvise by inventing new melodies or lyrics on the spot. This became known as scatting. The word itself is thought to come from the phrase “scat singing,” which means to sing without words.

Scat became popular in the 1920s and 1930s, thanks to influential jazz singers like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. They popularized the style of vocal improvisation that would come to be known as scatting.

While scatting was originally designed for vocalists, it soon spread to other instruments as well. Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie was one of the first musicians to scat on his instrument, and he continued to be an important innovator in the style throughout his career.

Today, scatting is still an important part of jazz music. Many modern jazz singers continue to use scatting as a way to improvise and create new melodies. And while it’s not as common as it once was, you can still find examples of instrumental scatting in some contemporary jazz recordings.

How to Scat

Jazz scatting is a vocal technique that broke onto the scene in the 1920s and 1930s. This new style of singing was made popular by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong. Scatting is a great way to improvise and show off your vocal skills. In this article, we’ll show you how to scat like a pro!

Vocal techniques

In jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a spoken language.Scat singing is often used as a form of soloing.

There are three basic elements of scat singing:

1. Vocalizations – The use of syllables such as “bop” or “doo-wah” to create rhythms and melodies.

2. Melodic phrases – Melodic phrases that are sung or “played” on the voice.

3. Improvisation – The ability to spontaneously create melodies, rhythms and words using the voice as an instrument.

Improvising

Scat singing is a vocal technique in jazz where the singer improvises using meaningless syllables instead of actual lyrics. This can be done with or without accompaniment from instruments. Many scat singers use their voices to imitate the sounds of other instruments as well.

The word “scat” comes from the sound that these meaningless syllables make when they are sung. It is also sometimes used to refer to the style of music itself.

Scat singing is often associated with jazz music, but it can be used in any style of music. Some well-known scat singers include Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong.

Famous Scat Songs

Scat singing is a vocal technique in which the singer improvises using nonsense syllables instead of actual lyrics. This style of singing was popularized in the 1930s by artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous scat songs in jazz history.

“Minnie the Moocher”

“Minnie the Moocher” is a song first performed by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra in 1931. The song is notable for its scat singing chorus: “Hi-de-ho, /scat/ Hi-de-ho.” “Minnie the Moocher” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

“Flying Home”

In “Flying Home,” Lionel Hampton and his band use the call-and-response technique common in gospel and blues. The horns state the melody while the rhythm section responds. This back-and-forth continues for the first minute of the song. After an extended drum solo by Big Sid Catlett, the band returns to the opening melody for the final chorus. Throughout the tune, there are moments of improvisation, or scatting. This is when the singer makes up words to fit the melody, using nonsense syllables instead of words.

“Sing, Sing, Sing”

One of the most famous scat songs of all time is “Sing, Sing, Sing,” popularized by Benny Goodman in the 1930s. The tune was originally written by Louis Prima as an instrumental, but it wasn’t until Goodman asked lyricist Andy Razaf to write words for the melody that it became a vocal hit. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, making them easy to scat along to.

Thanks to Goodman’s performance, “Sing, Sing, Sing” has become one of the most commonlyplayed scat tunes in jazz. Many artists have recorded their own versions of the song, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis.