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How to get started with jazz singing

Humming on a walk, singing in the shower, scatting out loud while cooking – spontaneous singing can bring a lot of joy into your life. Just improvising and finding a space to express your feelings does not require professional training. But maybe you feel like you want to explore more with your voice, maybe you want to sing with others, or maybe you are just curious about how jazz rhythms and harmonies work. If this is the case and you would like to dive deeper into the topic of jazz singing, you will find some tips on how to get started in this article.

Listen to lots of music

Florencia Viadana – https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1552847340-1e26a6af19d4?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=387&q=80

“Summer time and the livin’ is easy…” You may have heard these lines before. They belong to the lyrics of one of the most famous jazz pieces, “Summertime” by George Gershwin. But more recently, in 2019, another song that refers to the jazz standard became popular: the cover of “Doin’ time” by the American singer Lana del Rey. Jazz standards are jazz pieces that are part of every jazz musician’s repertoire and have shaped and influenced many different genres. But they can also be an easy way to start singing jazz. My first advice would be to listen to a lot of jazz music. Not only different songs, but also the same songs by different artists – that way you can explore different styles and get some inspiration. Jazz is all about developing your very unique style, so if you listen to a lot of different styles, you might be less likely to copy someone else’s way of singing. And the easiest way to start is with these jazz standards. There are so-called “real books” or other songbooks if you prefer to have it on paper, but you can also find lyrics and chords on the internet, often for free.

Learn the theory

This might seem boring at first – you want to sing, not read books, right? But actually it will help you a lot to gain a little knowledge about how music works. For example, you need to find a key that you feel comfortable singing in. If you want to make music with others, you have to know your key so that you can harmonize. In order to sing jazz standards in the right key, you have to learn about harmony and chords and how to transpose a song. This can be really interesting if you have a particular song you want to sing, because then you realize how much the theory will help you. There are also lots of videos and articles on the internet that can help you. Why not start by checking out the Basic Music Theory section of this website! It offers a perfect introduction to scales, chords and cadences.

Especially if you already know how to play another instrument, such as piano or guitar, you will learn the theory very quickly – and you can use it very well for these instruments too.
Not only the harmony, but especially the rhythm is unique in jazz: most of the songs are played in swing rhythm. The uniqueness of swing is that two eighth notes are not the same length. The first eighth is sung twice as long as the second – but together they are still only a quarter note long. This means that the eighths are sung as triplets. Although this sounds very theoretical, when you sing it, it is much more of a swing feeling and not counting. What helps a lot in learning this rhythm is – once again – listening to a lot of jazz with swing.

Try it out

Alex Zamora – https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1541804627596-3b5b9ef58c93?ixlib=rb-4.0.3&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=870&q=80 

When you feel ready, start singing. Start by warming up your voice to avoid vocal injury by humming and slowly expanding your vocal range. For example, you could hum an ascending and descending scale. Later you can sing the different vowels or experience how it feels and sounds to articulate words. Begin in a range that feels completely comfortable to you. When you feel your voice becoming a little more flexible, you can slowly start to extend your range. After your warm-up, you can start singing. You could either look for an instrumental accompaniment on the internet (jazz standards are easier to find) or just sing solo. The second option is more difficult for beginners because you will not have any harmonic orientation and therefore may not hit the right note. You could also practice improvising. Just hum, sing, shout or scat a melody you make up and explore the different ways you can use your voice. If you feel you are not making any progress, you could consider taking singing lessons from a professional vocal coach. Sometimes there are also low-cost courses offered by local schools or universities that can help you.
Of course, you can always just sing for yourself. But wouldn’t it be great to share your love of music with others? Get your family or friends together for a jazz karaoke night. Maybe there is an open mic opportunity at a special event in your city. Or you could even perform in front of a crowd at a party or concert. Street music is also a good way to play jazz – but depending on the city, there are often restrictions and laws you need to follow. And why not join or set up a jazz band? You could perform with different instruments such as guitar, piano or drums.
But there is no need to be stressed by high ambitions. Having fun should always be the most important aspect of singing – you may just need some time before you feel ready to sing in front of others.

After all, jazz is about finding your own personal style that is completely unique to you. This is a challenging task, as is singing in front of other people. But there is no need to be too strict with yourself – just start scatting or humming spontaneously, singing your feelings out loud and getting into the swing vibe. As jazz legend Nina Simone once said:

“I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.”

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