How-To - Stoloff, Bob: Scat! Vocal Improvisation Techniques (Book/CD)

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Stoloff, Bob: Scat! Vocal Improvisation Techniques (Book/CD)

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Well-performed scat is a joy to behold - but half-baked scat is painful. Thankfully, this book is now available to lift the veil of mystery surrounding the secrets of successful vocal improvisation. Stoloff is Associate Professor at the venerable Berklee College of Music, and his teaching experience shows in this extremely useful book/CD combination. The book includes a useful brief overview of the history of scat singing, from Satchmo to McFerrin. Then the exercises begin, starting with basic jazz rhythms matched with syllables, and quickly move to diatonic scale sequences with a challenging mix of rhythms, accents and syllable choices. There's no question that extensive work on these exercises will provide wannabe-scatters with strong fundamentals. There are also a number of a cappella and accompanied backgrounds with Stoloff scats in detailed notation, as well as open choruses for the singer to let it rip. Finally, there are a number of useful vocal percussion exercises and suggestions, although these could easily be expanded to a whole volume themselves.
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