Improvisation and imitation in jazz vocal training

Abstract

In this article, the author raises the problem of improvisation and imitation in teaching jazz vocals. The purpose of the article is to understand the essence of improvisation and imitation in the educational process in the direction of «pop and jazz vocals». To achieve this goal, the author consistently solves several tasks. First of all, he examines the process of imitation in vocal lessons and identifies three levels of this process. The first level is the reproduction of an identical or as close as possible performance. The second level is an imitation «in style» based on examples and samples. The third level is imitation as inspiration for something else. The article describes oral learning, which is preferable to written, as well as various forms of oral imitation in musical and verbal contexts. The process of imitation in vocal lessons also includes physical aspects such as gestures and poses. The second task is to analyze the variety of forms of oral imitation in vocal lessons and performances in jazz: oral speech does not fully cover the phenomena of imitation, and distinguishes various types of imitation, such as didactic, mutual agonistic, referential and others. The importance of the musician's bodily involvement in imitation is emphasized, which determines the type of imitation. The author also discusses the problems of imitation in the context of the requirements for originality and presents the idea of variation as a way to diversify the performance of well-known themes. Special attention is paid to the desire for colloquial expression and natural expressiveness in performance. Given the complexity of the learning and singing process, the author urges to seek a balance between imitation and creativity in musical performance.