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Singing along with Billie Holiday, great for your timing


Terje

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Posted

I've been told to sing along with Billie Holiday by my teacher. It's good for many things. Good for pitch, cause she really knew what she was doing. Good for opening up your baritone range cause as a man I sing one octave below her and means I often end up close to the bottom of my range (well, not really, but close to the bottom of my singing range anyway). It is relaxing.

 

But more than anyting it pays off to listen very closely to her phrasing and her sense of timing. She's often very late in her phrasing, but that's not all she does and one thing you become aware of pretty soon is that she sings everyword and every note with great intensity. She knows exactly what she's doing all the time.

 

After doing this for a few weeks I can hear it and feel it coming up in my own playing, which has always been a little nervous. It's easier now for me to be late in my phrasing.

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Posted

Try listening to singer Jimmy Scott, his phrasing is unbelievable.

For people who phrase behing the beat, to me the king is John Scofield, though I am not fond of his guitar tone

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Posted
Originally posted by Terje

I've been told to sing along with Billie Holiday by my teacher. It's good for many things. Good for pitch, cause she really knew what she was doing. Good for opening up your baritone range cause as a man I sing one octave below her and means I often end up close to the bottom of my range (well, not really, but close to the bottom of my
singing
range anyway). It is relaxing.


But more than anyting it pays off to listen very closely to her phrasing and her sense of timing. She's often very late in her phrasing, but that's not all she does and one thing you become aware of pretty soon is that she sings
every
word and
every
note with great intensity. She knows
exactly
what she's doing all the time.


After doing this for a few weeks I can hear it and feel it coming up in my own playing, which has always been a little nervous. It's easier now for me to be late in my phrasing.



My wife and I often ...how you say...'converse without words' with Billie in the background. :rolleyes:

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Posted

Originally posted by Sputnik

For people who phrase behing the beat, to me the king is John Scofield, though I am not fond of his guitar tone

 

 

Well, Billie is really good at it too. I think even Scofield himself would agree if I say that she was even better than he is. And she's got a great tone. So why not sing with her first?

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Posted

Originally posted by Terje



Well, Billie is really good at it too. I think even Scofield himself would agree if I say that she was even better than he is. And she's got a great tone. So why not sing with her first?

 

 

Anyone who knows anything about jazz would agree with this. She is the queen of lay back and relaxed time.

 

I think I am going to develop a heroin habit right now.

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Posted

Originally posted by Mr.Hanky

I think I am going to develop a heroin habit right now.

 

 

Heroin had very little to do with her laid back feeling I think. She doesn't get better at it as she gets deeper and deeper into her addiction. She's at her best up until around 1940.

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