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Jazz ballad
An original slow phrase: a major-seventh chord, an arc through the sixth, a chromatic descent from the major seventh to the fifth and a long ending on the tonic. Soft and legato.
A slow, original ballad phrase. It starts by outlining a major seventh chord from its third up, then arcs down through the sixth. A minor seventh chord climbs to the octave, and a chromatic descent of four semitones steps from the major seventh down to the fifth. A long note on the tonic closes it. It's sung soft and legato on “doo”, and it tests your control more than your speed.
How to do it
- After the two count-in clicks, sing with the piano on “doo”, soft and connected, with no gaps.
- Sing the opening chord tones up, then fall back through the sixth, fifth and third in one smooth line.
- Take the chromatic descent one semitone at a time. On the roll you should see four small, separate steps.
- Hold the long last note straight. Let a little vibrato in only at the very end.
- Breathe in the short rests, not in the middle of a line. The phrase then comes again a semitone higher.
Coach's tip: The chromatic descent is four semitones in a row – each one distinct, no smearing. Hold the last note straight and let the vibrato in only at the end.
What to watch out for
A slow tempo exposes every wobble. The major seventh appears twice, once at the end of the opening chord and once at the start of the descent. It sits a semitone below the octave, and singers tend to pull it up. In the descent, don't smear four semitones into a slide. The long last note tests your breath: don't push, and don't let it sag in the final beats. Stop if you strain.
Who it's for
A level 3 melody for singers who can already hold a quiet line and want a jazz phrase to apply it to. Use it late in the main block, or as a cool-down while the voice is warm. Slow legato up to the sixth prepares the connected sound, and Vibrato only at the end of a note practices the closing. No program lists it, but the Jazz style does.
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Related exercises
- Pop phrase: chorus with a high note An original chorus: a leap to the octave and holding it for 3 beats. Twice.
- Pop phrase: belt An original phrase: a 5-7-9 run-up and a four-second belt on the octave.
- Show finale An original finale phrase: two approaches to a high note and a long held peak at the end.
- Soul ballad An original soul ballad phrase: a calm opening, a climb to the top and a melisma to finish.
- Scat warm-up in swing Root, second, third, fifth and back down – lightly, on “doo-bee”. Swing rhythm: the first note of each pair is longer, the second short, as in jazz.
- Major pentatonic Five notes that almost all pop runs are built from.