Lesson video

Hi everyone! Welcome to this lesson on syncopated rhythms in jazz.

This is from our "Singing for Performance" Unit where we're looking at syncopation in songs.

My name's Mr. Kron and I'm very excited to guide you through this lesson on jazz today.

Let's crack on.

In this lesson, you'll be learning how to take inspiration from jazz to create syncopated vocal improvisation.

Let's unpack that a bit more by looking at our keywords.

First of all, jazz, this is a musical genre.

It originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans in Louisiana on the southern states of the USA.

And it blends elements of blues music, African rhythms and European harmonic structures.

Influences.

Influences can be musical traits such as rhythm and melody that inspire a musician's work.

Improvisation, this is to create new ideas and in this case, new musical ideas in the moment.

And scat singing, it's a vocal jazz technique where singers improvise melodies and rhythms, using wordless syllables instead of lyrics.

There are three warmups available.

First of all, we have "Cookie Jar", followed by "Don't Clap this one Back" and then singing "Fruit Canon." These are designed to help us feel the steady pulse.

What I will do is I will play the "Cookie Jar" video for you and "Don't Clap this one Back." If you are confident on leading those in your classroom, you can skip over those videos and go straight to using the backing track to sing "Fruit Canon" where you'll be layering those syncopated lines of song.

First of all, here comes "Cookie Jar." ♪ Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar ♪ ♪ Alex stole the cookie from the cookie jar ♪ ♪ Who? Me? Yes.

You ♪ ♪ Couldn't have been then.

Then Who ♪ ♪ Lucas stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

♪ ♪ Who? Me? Yes.

You ♪ ♪ Couldn't have been then.

Then Who ♪ ♪ Jacob stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

♪ ♪ Who? Me? Yes.

You ♪ ♪ Couldn't have been then.

Then Who ♪ ♪ Andy stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

♪ ♪ Who? Me? Yes.

You ♪ ♪ Couldn't have been then.

Then Who ♪ <v ->And now "Don't Clap this one Back."</v> This is a game called "Don't Clap This one Back." You'll hear me clapping different rhythms like this one.

(clapping rhythmically) And that rhythm is actually our secret rhythm that we are never going to clap because that rhythm says, don't clap this one back.

(clapping rhythmically) So if you hear it, you do nothing.

Any other rhythm you hear, we all clap together.

Let's try a couple.

(clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) Very, very good.

Now you're going to listen super carefully because if you hear, (clapping rhythmically) we don't clap that rhythm back.

Okay? Let's play.

(clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) Did I catch any of you out? Let's try one more time.

Here we go.

(clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) (clapping rhythmically) Very well done.

Now you can practice that where you are.

Very well done.

Now in three groups working on that "Fruit Canon." Off you go.

So if we're warmed up, then our voices are feeling warmer and we are feeling a steady pulse and we're keeping in time together.

Very well done.

There are two learning cycles in today's lesson.

The first one is hearing syncopation in jazz, and the second is vocal improvisation with syncopation.

Let's start by listening then to some syncopation in jazz.

First of all though, what is jazz? Well, it's been shaped by many influences over time.

During the 17th century, various West African people were taken by European colonizers and shipped to North America.

So these enslaved Africans still managed to retain elements of their cultures, including rhythms, singing styles, oral tradition.

Now, during the period of slavery, they were often forced to convert to Christianity, which led to the creation of a type of song called a spiritual.

Now spirituals mixed West African rhythms with Christian stories about hope and often about freedom.

After slavery ended in 1865, these musical traditions evolved into gospel music, which is church songs and blues, songs that are more secular about everyday struggles and feelings.

Also, from gospel came more music like soul and later funk, and it goes on and on.

At the same time, ragtime music became popular and this brought lively syncopated piano rhythms. Skipping forward to the early 1900s, a distinct and exciting style of music began to emerge, and this was one that combined West African and Caribbean rhythms, blues, spirituals, ragtime, and European instruments like brass and woodwind.

Now, improvisation was a key feature of many of these musical styles, and this also became a key feature in this new sound, which we call jazz.

True or false then.

Jazz is a style of music influenced by African rhythms, spirituals, gospel music, ragtime, European instruments such as trumpets, trombones, and clarinets.

Is that true or false? Have a check.

Give you a moment.

There's a thumbs up if you think, yep, I agree with that or thumbs down if you don't think it's true.

Well I can tell you it is.

And why? Because jazz grew from the music as well as the experiences of enslaved Africans and their descendants, which continue to blend African traditions with European instruments and new American styles.

Jazz is a musical genre that uses a lot of syncopation.

Complex and syncopated rhythms were brought by enslaved Africans and these continue to have a strong influence in jazz music.

And like so many music styles, jazz has spread throughout much of the world, inspiring musicians and blending with different cultures and traditions.

We're going to pause in a moment to give you opportunity to listen to these three examples of jazz.

Each time you listen, I want you to try and feel the pulse.

Now, some of them have an instrument playing the pulse and that's easier to follow than others.

The first one is "Koko" by Charlie Parker.

He was born in Kansas, Missouri in the USA.

This was recorded in 1945.

Then, "Kulunmanqueleshi" by Mulatu Astatke, who was born in 1943 in Ethiopia.

This song was recorded in 1972.

And then thirdly, the most recent one, "La cumbia me está llamando" by Nubya Garcia, who was born in 1991.

And this song was recorded in London in 2019.

So pause here and listen to each of those.

Off you go.

Did you notice some of them? Yes, you can feel the steady pulse.

Sometimes that syncopation is so rich that it's hard to keep track of.

Now each of the pieces feature improvisation.

You've listened to improvisation in each of those, and it's one of the most defining parts of jazz.

I'd like you to pause again 'cause I'd like to listen again to Nubya Garcia's piece.

And she improvises over a rhythmic structure provided by the percussion instruments.

And if you listen, you can hear the shaker.

The shaker is keeping the pulse.

And I'd like you to join in by playing that pulse now, either with shaker eggs or a similar instrument, or if you don't have any, then just use your body percussion.

And as you play and you're keeping that steady pulse along with a shaker, notice the syncopated rhythms that are played by the saxophone.

Have a go at doing that now.

Very well done.

I'd now like you to listen to two very different pieces of music that take the same source material.

So they're both using the song "My Favorite Things", which is from the film and the show, "The Sound of Music." But you can hear very different musical influences.

I'd like to tap the pulse as you listen to each one, and then there's gonna be some questions that come along afterwards, okay? First of all, listen to each one of those in turn, then we'll come back together.

Off you go.

Brilliant, there's now four questions for you based on what you've listened to.

First question is, which version of "My Favorite Things" do you think has the most complex syncopation: the Pentatonix version or the John Coltrane version? And what is it in the music that makes you say that? What is it you can hear in the music that is giving that more complex syncopation? Question two: Pentatonix only use their voices so you can hear beatboxing and the way they're singing in harmony.

Does the main melody or the backing vocals feature the most syncopation? Have a think, is it the main tune that's mainly syncopated or is it the backing vocals? Have a check and then listen.

Question number three, John Coltrane plays the soprano saxophone.

Which two of the following have listed three? Which two of the following does he use to create syncopation? Does he play a note on a weak beat and then hold it? Does he play a mix of notes that are both on and off the beat? And does he start on the first beat of the bar each time? On that strong beat, that first beat of the bar, each time? Have a listen and check.

Two of those are correct.

And lastly, in that John Coltrane piece, which is the instrument that you can hear that plays syncopated chords? What instrument is that? Pause here and we'll come back together and share our answers.

Off you go.

Great listening, great ideas.

Let's see if we've got something similar.

So which version of my favorite things has the most complex syncopation? Hopefully we started with an easier question.

And there's more complex use of syncopation in John Coltrane's version.

In the Pentatonix version, more of the melody lands on the strong beats compared to John Coltrane's version, which is much more syncopated.

Pentatonix only use their voices.

And the question to you was, does the main tune or the backing vocals feature the most syncopation? What feel does it give the song? And our answer is, there's more syncopation in their backing vocals and the beatboxing and that contrast that helps the syncopation stand out and it gives the song a bouncy feeling, like it's driving the piece forward.

The third question was, which two of these does John Coltrane use to create syncopation while he is playing the soprano saxophone? And I can tell you that playing on a weak beat and holding it certainly on the offbeat or weak beat holding that note into where a strong note would normally begin.

That is a type of syncopation called suspension.

We can also hear a mix of weak and strong beats being played, and it feels like the rhythm isn't being neatly followed.

It jumps around and it sounds a bit more unexpected, giving that real syncopated feel.

With that third point, if John had started on the first beat of each bar, that would've sounded more predictable, more stable, and that would've reduced the syncopation.

So the answer is the first two of those.

And the last question, which instrument plays syncopated chords? Did you get it? It was the piano.

Some chords land on the beat and others play on the offbeats in between the beats.

Very well done, very good listening.

Time now then for our second part of the lesson where we are using vocal improvisation with syncopation.

We'll begin with Ella Fitzgerald.

She's a famous jazz singer and could use her voice like an instrument making up melodies using fun made up syllables like 'bop', 'doo', 'wah'.

Now this is called scat singing and Ella was one of the best at it.

She used her voice to improvise just like a jazz musician might improvise with a trumpet or a saxophone.

And I'd like you to listen to this extract of "How High the Moon" sung by Ella Fitzgerald.

And this is when she's going into her scat singing during this song.

Have a pause and a listen.

Off you go.

Ella Fitzgerald is one of the finest scat singers in jazz history.

Now, scat singing in jazz that began in the very early 20th century.

However, the idea of chanting or singing using short vocal sounds goes back much further.

A couple of examples.

In West African music, it's often done through drum language or vocal percussion.

And this is where the rhythms to be played on the drums are taught by mimicking the sound of the drums with the voice.

And then it's similar in Indian classical music.

So in the Hindustani music of the north, they're called bol, and then it the Carnatic music of South India, konnakol.

And this is where each syllable, spoken syllable represents a specific drum stroke or pattern.

Now, I would like you to listen to this incredible clip.

It's called "The Conference" by Nitin Sawhney.

And Nitin Sawhney combines both the Hindustani and Carnatic spoken bol or konnakol in this piece.

Have a listen.

I think it's fantastic.

Pause here and enjoy that.

I love that piece of music.

I think it's incredible.

It's so impressive.

We are gonna turn our attention back to scat singing by beginning with phrases that use just one note.

I'm gonna play the track and it repeats.

So if you hear, doo, doo, doo, you simply repeat with a doo, doo, doo.

Are you ready? Here comes the track.

(jazz music) ♪ Doo doo doo ♪ ♪ Doo doo doo ♪ ♪ Doo doo doo ♪ ♪ Doo doo doo ♪ ♪ Skiddly bop bap bee ♪ ♪ Skiddly bop bap bee ♪ ♪ Skiddly bop bap bee ♪ ♪ Skiddly bop bap bee ♪ ♪ Scoobidy bop bam boo ♪ ♪ Scoobidy bop bam boo ♪ ♪ Scoobidy bop bam boo ♪ ♪ Scoobidy bop bam boo ♪ ♪ Do what do whaa ♪ ♪ Do what do whaa ♪ (jazz music) <v ->When we're playing along to a backing track,</v> like you heard then in the example, we can begin on a strong or a weak beat for our scat phrases.

Let me give you two examples.

First of all.

♪ 1, 2, 3, shoobidy bop bam boo ♪ Or.

♪ 1, 2, 3, 4 dab a doo daah.

♪ So the first one is coming in on a weak beat.

It's the, 1, 2, 3.

♪ Shoobidy bop bam boo ♪ And the fourth one comes in with on the first beat of the bar on that strong beat.

♪ 1, 2, 3, 4 dab a doo daah.

♪ And the syllables of those scat phrases can also be sung in different ways to create syncopation more.

This next track you're going to listen to, again, we're gonna echo the phrases and the phrases are sung on more than one note.

Now they're nearby notes.

We're not singing a wide range of notes.

They're nearby to each other.

You can still hear them and just copy it back, okay? Here comes the track.

(jazz music) ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Yagady bop whaa ♪ ♪ Yagady bop whaa ♪ ♪ Yagady bop whaa ♪ ♪ Yagady bop whaa ♪ ♪ Bop bop ba-dum ♪ ♪ Bop bop ba-dum ♪ ♪ Bop bop ba-dum ♪ ♪ Bop bop ba-dum ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ <v ->Did you notice that when the leader</v> or the first voice repeated the phrase, the second voice repeated the melody? And sometimes those melodies sounded like a question and answer.

Have a listen to these two examples.

Here they come.

(jazz music) ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Sha-Do-Bee-Do-Du ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo bop ♪ <v ->These strategies work really well</v> to build an improvisation.

And now it's over to you.

In pairs, you're gonna practice some scat singing techniques.

There are a whole bunch of scat phrases on the next slide.

You can use or any or all of those, and you can create some of your own if you'd like to.

There really is no wrong answer.

To break it down gently, start with one person singing a short phrase using one note.

For example, Doo-doo-doo.

The other person echoes, Doo-doo-doo.

And you can take it in turns to be the leader.

When you've explored different phrases, singing just on one note with that call and response to each other, you can open it up further.

Then, use a broader range of notes.

For example.

♪ Doo bah doo waa ♪ ♪ Doo bah doo waa ♪ And we've used more notes.

Those question and answer phrases so you don't then have to be identical.

It could be.

♪ Scuba-Doo-Bop ♪ ♪ Dagady-Dup ♪ For example.

And then singing the same question and improvising with different answers.

So you could keep coming up with a.

♪ Scuba-Di-Doo ♪ ♪ Scuba-Doo-Bop ♪ ♪ Scuba-Di-Doo ♪ ♪ Scadaley-dip ♪ Or whatever.

These are all just improvisations.

I haven't planned these and this is what you are building up to do.

It's sort of whatever comes out based on those phrases that are on the next slide.

You can start to sing longer scat phrases when you feel confident, maybe joining a couple of them together.

Maybe you get a.

♪ Sciddly-Didly-Doo-bop ♪ ♪ Baa-Doo-Baa-Dido ♪ Whatever it might be.

And then, see what happens if you are both scatting together at the same time.

Does it work if you're keeping in time? Are you creating syncopated rhythms? Remember, we're taking it one stage at a time, starting with just one note and short phrases and building from there.

Here are some examples for you.

Enjoy.

And I'll see you after you've explored some scat singing.

Off you go.

Fantastic, we can sort of feel a bit self-conscious at first because it perhaps is something we've not done much of before.

But once you get into it, it's really fun.

I'm gonna put a track on and I'd like you to listen.

This is just an example.

To listen for things that you might have done in your scat singing.

So phrases that start on a strong beat.

♪ 1, 2, 3, 4, dooby-doo-whaa ♪ For example, or one on a weak beat.

♪ 1, 2, 3, scooby-doo-doo.

♪ That combination of short and long syllable sounds like that could be, daa-daa-dua.

We've got short, short and long repeated phrases, so we're just repeating the same thing more than once.

And those question and answer phrases where it does sound like a question with someone else answering.

Here comes the track.

Have a listen and then see how yours compared.

Here it comes.

(jazz music) ♪ Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo ♪ ♪ Bop-Bop-Badam ♪ ♪ Doo-Doo-Bop-Bop-Bop ♪ ♪ Doo-Bop-Doo-Bop ♪ ♪ Scidly-Bop-Bop-Bee ♪ ♪ Scubidi-Bop-Baa-Doo ♪ ♪ Yagadey-Bop-Bop-Wha ♪ ♪ Bop-Bop-Badum ♪ ♪ Doo-Doo-Baa-Doo ♪ ♪ Doo-wha-Doo-Wha ♪ ♪ Doo-Di-Adi-Doo-Doo-Doo ♪ ♪ Scidily-Bop-Bop ♪ ♪ Yagadey-Bop-Bop-Shodo ♪ ♪ Shabo-Baa-Di-Doo ♪ ♪ Schodo-Baa-Bidley-Doo-Bop-Bop ♪ (jazz music) <v ->Fantastic.

</v> You're now going to work in groups of five or six.

Don't get into those groups just yet, but you're gonna work together to create a short scat piece.

This means that you're gonna use the ideas that you've practiced in your pairs.

You're gonna check that you are all feeling the same steady pulse.

So you are syncopating your rhythms effectively when you're using the backing track.

Now, your piece might be fixed.

You might say, this pair goes first, then this pair goes, then they go, and then we do a bit together, whatever.

Or it could be that you decide how it begins and how it ends, but maybe there's some freedom in the middle section where some improvisation happens from different people.

Maybe some of it overlaps.

Consider how you structure your piece.

You still need to know how it's gonna start, what happens and how it finishes.

But there can be plenty of improvisation within it.

And if you can record your piece, 'cause then you can listen to it and evaluate it afterwards.

You can think, did we stay in time to the pulse? Did that sound exciting? Did we hear some questions and answers? All right, so pause here and build your piece in a small group.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

Let's see how you did.

Did you keep a steady beat while you were scat singing? Did it all feel like there was an underlying pulse? Did you change the rhythms to make your scat singing more interesting? Did it sound varied? And could you describe how you might have responded to another person's scat phrase? Did it sound a bit like a question and answer? Did you use syncopation to improvise in that jazz style? And was there any other stylistic features did you use? Maybe, did any bits of beatboxing creep in, I don't know.

It'd be interesting to know what inspiration you took to create your piece.

And lastly, when you performed your scat singing, was it clear and did you feel confident so that it was projected that other people could hear it and enjoy it? If you did, fantastic.

If you are yet to share your pieces with each other, then do that now.

Amazing.

Fantastic work today, everyone! This is a summary of what we've picked up today.

First of all, jazz that grew from the music and experiences of enslaved Africans and their descendants.

Jazz blends African music traditions with European instruments and their newer American influences.

Syncopation can be used to make the melody sound and feel very different.

And we can take inspiration from jazz to create short, syncopated rhythms using scat singing and improvisation.

Fantastic work today, everyone! I look forward to seeing you next time.

Bye for now.