Discover published sets by community

A rhythm technique where the emphasis is on the off-beats or weaker beats in the music, giving a 'swinging' sensation. Singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole perfected this style.

A note that for expressive purposes is sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Famous for its use in jazz is Billie Holiday.

The spontaneous creation and variation of melody and rhythm within a song, demonstrating the singer's creativity and musicality. Bobby McFerrin and Al Jarreau are key examples.

A stylistic jazz evolution with complex harmonies and melodies that require a high level of technical skill. Artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker are known for instrumental bebop, while singers adapted its technical prowess into their vocalizations.

The variation and gradation in the volume of the performance. Jazz greats like Miles Davis, although an instrumentalist, influenced singers to consider dynamics as a tool for emotional expression.

A glide from one pitch to another, commonly used by singers to add a human-like quality to jazz singing. Artists such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald have used portamento effectively.

A vocal register that occupies the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlaps with the lower part of the whistle register. Jazz singers like Al Jarreau have been known to use falsetto.

A style where notes are performed in a detached, separate, and often short manner, which can add a sense of rhythm and articulation to jazz singing. Ella Fitzgerald has used this technique to add texture to her performances.

The use of intervals smaller than the conventional semitones of Western music. Jazz vocalists like Anita O'Day and Betty Carter have incorporated microtones for expressive effect.

A vocal technique that involves stretching a single syllable of text over several pitches. Jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé have incorporated melismatics in their styles.

A succession of two distinct phrases where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary or response to the first. This can be between an instrument and voice, or between two vocalists. Bessie Smith and James Brown employed this in their music.

The manner in which a singer shapes a sequence of notes in a passage of music, giving the music life, emotion, and meaning. Notable in the works of singers like Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday.

A technique of rapidly varying pitch to give warmth and expressiveness to the voice. It's commonly used by jazz singers such as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

An improvised jazz singing technique where the voice is used as an instrument, often with nonsensical syllables. Artists known for this include Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.