Definition

1. Noun:
   • A style of jazz singing: "scat singing" refers to a vocal improvisation technique in jazz music where the singer uses nonsense syllables, sounds, or wordless vocables instead of actual lyrics, often mimicking the melodic and rhythmic phrasing of a musical instrument.

Usage

• As a noun: "Scat singing" is used to describe the vocal performance style itself.
  • Scat singing requires great rhythmic and melodic skill.
  • Ella Fitzgerald was a master of scat singing.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The highlight of the concert was the singer's incredible scat singing during the solo.
  • He studied the history of scat singing in early jazz recordings.

Advanced Usage

• "to scat" (verb): The act of performing scat singing. This verb form is derived from the noun.
  • The vocalist began to scat over the chord changes, amazing the audience.

Variants and Related Words

• Scat (n/v): The shortened, informal form. As a noun, it can refer to the style or a specific instance of it. As a verb, it means to perform in this style.

  • That was an amazing scat!
  • Can you scat on this tune?

• Vocalese: A related but distinct jazz singing style where lyrics are set to pre-existing instrumental solos. Unlike scat singing, vocalese uses meaningful words.

Synonyms

• Vocal improvisation: A broader term for improvising with the voice, which includes scat singing.
• Wordless vocalizing: Singing without using formal lyrics.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "To take a scat chorus": To perform a solo improvisation using scat singing within a piece of music.
  • After the trumpet solo, the singer took a scat chorus.

Noun

1. singing jazz; the singer substitutes nonsense syllables for the words of the song and tries to sound like a musical instrument