Vocal Jazz 101:
Techniques and Exercises for Jazz Vocalists
In this lesson, Rachel takes you through vocal warmups and exercises that you or your students can use to broaden their understanding of vocal jazz technique. Topics covered include breath support and management, vocal jazz tone, singing with chest voice and navigating range, and use of vibrato in jazz singing.
Here are some of the main takeaways from this mini voice lesson:
All styles of singing, regardless of genre, have a power source (breath), vibrator (vocal cords) and the resonator (the throat and face.) How each of these styles use these three aspects is dependent on the style itself. Good vocal jazz technique requires good breath support and management and also encourages a lot of exploration of the different resonance spaces. Think about the tone quality of Ella Fitzgerald compared to someone like Billie Holiday. How would you describe their differences? A lot of it comes down to their tone quality, which is affected by resonance.
Achieving the sound of a jazz singer boils down to having a conversational, flexible tone. We utilize primarily chest voice, which is the voice we use to speak everyday. If you aren’t sure if you’re singing like you’d speak, try to take away the pitches and just speak the lyrics of a song out loud.
If you are singing a song and suddenly notice that a note or notes are too high to sing in chest voice or just generally feel uncomfortable in how they sit in your voice, that is normal! When this happens, see if you can place your vocal timbre into your face (also called “the mask!”) a little bit more. Picture the little space behind your nose and try to shoot your sound into it. It won’t feel nasally, but pingy, like it has a shelf it is sitting on! This placement will help you navigate many parts of your range flawlessly and easily.
Do jazz singers use vibrato? The short answer is yes! Many jazz singers incorporate vibrato into their style, although how they use it varies greatly. Some singers use a combination of vibrato and straight tone (meaning a vocal tone that has very little vibrato.) Check out a variety of different singers and notice their tendencies with vibrato. What do you prefer in your voice?
Use the PDF of the vocal exercises attached in the choir classroom, private lesson or in your own individual practice to incorporate more vocal jazz technique into your singing. Remember, vocal technique takes time and dedicated practice. Remain open and curious and don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t come quickly!
Want to send this video to your students? Use this link: https://vimeo.com/686471913