Jazz Vocals – The Key Elements
Tuesday 19th March 2024, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (London Time)
Over this short course, we will discuss the key qualities that a singing student needs if they wish to delve deeper into singing jazz/improvised music. Although there are many things that go into becoming a jazz singer, the three things we will talk about first are:
1. Sense of time – does the singer feel swing time? Do they understand the importance of 2 and 4 in the bar? Do they embrace the idea of having complete artistic control over their phrasing – are they taking enough risks with time? How do we study phrasing when we are supposed to be ‘in the moment’ with jazz? Claire will demonstrate early and late phrasing and also discuss the more ‘speech quality’ singing that is used a lot by jazz singers. How to be more conversational with the lyric is also something we will explore.
2. Sense of harmony – does the singer understand basic harmony? Do they have any ear for intervals, chord types (jazz often adds sevenths or flat 5ths) and some understanding of a piano keyboard? For a singer to be able to make note substitutions they need to trust what will fit the chord and harmony. We will look at good ways of adding 9ths and flat 5ths into a warm-up scale to start ‘hearing’ these notes.
3. Vocal tone and placement – jazz suits chest voice or ‘thick folds’. Head voice is usually only used for colour or when scat singing. We will discuss vocal range, tone colours, what works best to serve the lyric, how to help a student get more tone from lower larynx position and how to find the right keys for standard repertoire. We can also touch on accent, and how one can create a believable and authentic ‘mid-Atlantic’ singing accent (if British) but also sound like themselves.
We will also expand on the importance of listening to the great singers of this genre, and Claire will give out her 'top 10 singers to study' list during this course!
Claire Martin OBE
Claire Martin OBE has established herself as a tour de force on the UK jazz scene, gaining many awards including winning the British Jazz Awards eight times during her career which spans over three decades. In 2018, she was the proud recipient of the BASCA Gold Badge Award for her contribution to jazz.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
Monday 2nd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 9th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 16th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 23rd June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Monday 30th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Certificate in Foundations of Vocology with Adam Roberts
Adam Roberts
This fifteen week (30-hour) Vocology Cohort Intensive provides a comprehensive overview of basic vocal anatomy, physiology, and theories of voice production & perception, fundamentals of vocal health, pathology, evaluation, performance, and habilitation of the speaking and singing voice, and a survey of research, resources, and professional opportunities.
Tuesday 10th June 2025
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
(London Time)
Nasality in singing: a needed ingredient, a technical fault, or both?
Dr Charlene Santoni
Nasality refers to how much sound comes out of your nose when you speak or sing. It is an important concept in resonant singing instruction, and also one that has been privy to long standing debate. Some believe nasality is a needed ingredient in singing, while others consider nasality a technical fault. This presentation will provide three probable explanations for the opposing views, and a way forward. It will also highlight research that explores how a singing technique (voice focus) influences nasality, which may help to refine current rehabilitation strategies for individuals struggling with hyper- or hyponasal speech!
Wednesday 11th June 2025
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
(London Time)
Using the International Phonetic Alphabet for Accent Coaching!
Louisa Morgan
Hosted by our very own Louisa Morgan, this session will provide a deeper dive into the methods of delivery of IPA in accent coaching. Here, there will be a more focused scope on the variety of pathways for students looking to learn an accent with IPA. Louisa will allow time to explore the limitations, practical considerations & benefits of each method, at an intermediate level. This exploration of IPA methods beyond the elementary level will allow for a much richer toolkit for you to take with you into all manner of actor training environments.