Singing Guide: Bob Dorough
Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources
Bob Dorough is one of the most unique singers in jazz history. Known for his distinctive voice, his scat singing, and his songwriting, Dorough is a true original.
Learning to sing like Bob Dorough is a fun and rewarding challenge that will help you develop your sense of time, melody, and improvisation. To get started, it's important to study his vocal technique, as well as his songwriting. Here are some tips and resources that should help you get started.
Vocal Technique
Bob Dorough's voice is characterized by his warm tone, always-in-tune phrasing, and his ability to play with rhythm and melody. Some of the key elements of his vocal technique include:
Breath Control
Dorough's breath control is impeccable, allowing him to sing long phrases with ease. To improve your own breath control, Singing Carrots' breath support exercises can help.
Scat Singing
One of the most unique aspects of Dorough's vocal style is his use of scat singing, a technique that involves singing improvised syllables and nonsensical phrases. To learn how to scat like Dorough, Singing Carrots' pitch training exercises and vocal range test can help you develop your ear and vocal agility.
Rhythmic Accuracy
Another key aspect of Dorough's vocal style is his ability to play with rhythm and groove with the music. Practicing Singing Carrots' pitch accuracy test and pitch training exercises can help you improve your rhythmic accuracy.
Articulation
Dorough's ability to articulate his words clearly is essential in his approach to storytelling through song. To improve your own articulation, Singing Carrots' articulation exercises can help.
Songwriting
In addition to his distinctive voice, Dorough was also an accomplished songwriter, penning songs for jazz legends like Miles Davis and Blossom Dearie. To learn more about Dorough's songwriting technique, it's important to study his songs. Here are a few Dorough classics that showcase his unique style:
- "Devil May Care"
- "I've Got Just About Everything"
- "Comin' Home Baby"
- "Small Day Tomorrow"
Singing Carrots resources
To help you further enhance your singing, the following Singing Carrots resources are available:
- Vocal Pitch Monitor
- Search songs by vocal range
- Vocal ranges of famous singers
- Educational singing course
Happy singing, and good luck on your journey to singing like Bob Dorough!