A phonetic exploration of the strategic integration of scat in modern compositions and improvisations

1. 01

   The starting point

   Scat, an emblematic practice of vocal jazz, belongs to a vast constellation of vocal traditions without lexical intent. Yet despite its apparent freedom, it often draws on a limited set of syllables inherited from tradition, which contributes to a certain sonic homogeneity in contemporary improvisation.

2. 02

   The approach

   At the crossroads of articulatory phonetics, the study of how speech sounds are produced, and musical research-creation, this project draws on tools from the analysis of phonetic inventories. It works with creative parameters such as the sonority scale, the strategic organization of syllables, articulatory contrast and interpretive intent, in dialogue with certain stylistic approaches to vocal jazz.

   Phonetic pool

   The concept of a “phonetic pool”, defined as a strategically selected set of sounds, serves as the working framework for structuring this exploration.

3. 03

   Twelve pieces, one analytical grid

   Phonetic pools served as the starting point for composing and improvising twelve musical pieces. The analysis relies on a grid built around Sonority, Context, Aesthetic and vocal Technique. It also takes into account the strategies that make performance easier, and the effects observed.

   The four axes of the analytical grid

   • SSonority
   • CContext
   • AAesthetic
   • TTechnique (vocal)
4. 04

   What the experiments reveal

   The experiments show that these pools shape phrasing, timbre and musical direction by generating distinct tonal colours. They thus highlight the effects of phonetic diversity on vocal strategies and on expressive and musical dynamics.

This is a summary of the thesis. The full version will be available soon.