Agility, riffs and runs · Intermediate · Jazz
Scat call and response
Short scat phrases with the syllables jazz teachers use (doo-vah-doo-dat, dah-bah-dah-dat), sung back by ear. Bob Stoloff teaches scat through exactly this kind of call and response.
How to do it
- Listen first, then sing it back.
- Short "dat" endings, clipped.
- Swing it lightly once you have it.
Remember Say it like a drummer.
| Numbers | 5 6 5 3 3 5 6 1′ 1′ 6 5 3 1 |
|---|---|
| Sargam | P D P G G P D Ṡ Ṡ D P G S |
| Solfa | sol la sol mi mi sol la do do la sol mi do |
| Notes | D E D B B D E G G E D B G |
| Sung on | doo vah doo dat dah bah dah dat lay dul dee dat dah |
Where it comes from
More agility, riffs and runs
Fast five, twice
Fast notes need a still jaw and a steady breath; the notes move, nothing else does.
EE and AH runs
Switching vowel on every note makes the tongue move while the throat stays still: the coordination fast runs need..
Pentatonic run down
Most pop and gospel runs live on the major pentatonic (1 2 3 5 6).
Blues run
The minor pentatonic with the blue note (the sharpened 4th).