- Home
- All exercises
- Warm-up
- Scat warm-up in swing
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.
Scat means singing with nonsense syllables, and this is its gentlest entry point. You sing the root, a major second, a major third and the fifth, then come back down the same way. Each pair of notes is swung: a long note, then a short one, in a triplet feel. “Doo” and “bee” are light, speech-like syllables. They keep the jaw loose and the consonants quick, so it feels like easy humming instead of a scale drill.
How to do it
- Wait for the two count-in clicks, then sing along with the piano. It plays with you the whole way.
- Sing one syllable per note: doo, bee, doo, bee, doo, bee, then a long “dah” on the final root.
- Lean on each long “doo” and let the short “bee” pass almost in passing.
- Watch the roll: the line climbs to the fifth and falls back, every block turning green.
- Each repetition starts a little higher, then the ladder comes back down. Hold the last note for two beats.
Coach's tip: Lean on the long “doo” and let the short “bee” go by almost in passing. Loose jaw, speech-like tone – it should feel like humming, not like a scale.
What to watch out for
Swing is the tricky part. Many singers flatten each pair into two even notes, or clip the short note so hard that it shows up as a gap on the roll. Aim for a clear long–short feel at a steady tempo. The fifth tends to sag when you relax too much, so keep a little energy there. This is a warm-up, so stay at conversation volume. If your jaw or throat tightens, slow the tempo down.
Who it's for
Good for any beginner, and a friendly first taste of jazz if you've never swung a note. Use it at the start of a session, right after Hum 5-4-3-2-1 has woken the voice. Next, try Dorian scale in swing, which uses the same long–short rhythm over a full scale. No program lists it, but when you pick the Jazz style it gets priority in your daily training.
Opens the app in your browser. Free to start, no account needed. Put on headphones first.
Related exercises
- Hum on one note Closed lips, an “mmm” you feel in the lips and nose. Four seconds, calmly.
- Hum 5-4-3-2-1 Five notes downward on “mmm”. Warms up without loading the folds.
- Lip trill – siren Lips buzz like a motorboat, the sound slides an octave up and back.
- “Oo” siren (octave) Smooth glissando up and down on “oo”. Connects the bottom and top of the voice.
- Major pentatonic Five notes that almost all pop runs are built from.
- Minor pentatonic The minor pentatonic up to the octave and back, the basic scale of R&B and soul runs. The minor third and the seventh give it a darker color than the major pentatonic.