In one of my previous articles, I discussed how important it is to develop a jazz vocabulary so that you actually start sounding like a jazz player instead of just playing up and down scales. I mentioned the importance of learning licks and phrases. But even if you know some licks, it can still be difficult to improvise in a natural and melodic way. That’s why I highly advocate singing what you play. It’s an excellent way to improve your solos.
So how does singing make you improvise better?
When you sing what you play, your solos will take on more of a vocal quality—you will tend to hold individual notes longer, you’ll probably play repeated notes more often, and the melodies that you play will be tend to be less complex. These are good things, especially for players who over-play.
Most importantly, you will increase your use of silence and improve your phrasing. Clearly, if you’re singing what you play, you’re going to run out of breath at some point. Jazz guitar players are notorious for playing too many notes—never stopping to give themselves(or the audience) a break. Horn players, on the other hand, use silence throughout their solos because they have to pause and take a breath. The result is that horn players’ solos tend to sound more natural and conversational. So, by forcing yourself to sing what you play, you’ll be able to incorporate some of this horn-like phrasing into your playing.
Singing also helps you to create a closer connection between the notes you hear in your head and those on the guitar. This improves your ear and listening skills. Finally, you’ll find yourself playing in ways that you would not normally play. Great for keeping yourself from getting stuck in a rut.
By the way, all great improvisers do this in some form or another. Some sing out loud while they’re playing, like George Benson, some hum or sing in their head but they are all singing in some way— believe me. I have a number of jazz records where you can hear ON THE RECORDING the inadvertent grunts and singing of jazz pianists and guitarists as they improvise.
Now if you’re new to this concept, it may feel a little weird to be singing out loud. Especially, if you’re not used to it. But the truth is that it doesn’t matter whether you can sing well or not. The goal is to use singing to improve your phrasing and to help you improvise more naturally. In my experience, the results have been VERY positive.
Take a look at the following video which I previously posted in my Using Licks and Phrases in Your Solos article:
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