VOCALS
VIBRATO - GOOD OR BAD ? ( PART 1 ) | Sheri Gould
In recent years there seems to be a bit of a debate over vibrato and its use in contemporary music . I think I can help clear up a few misconceptions and maybe ease the pressure a little as to what we should do with ( vocal ) vibrato . I designate “ vocal ” because it is the only vibrato that seems to be in question . We don ’ t tend to question vibrato when we encounter it on , say , a flute , trumpet , violin , cello , etc , but for some reason we bristle oftentimes at the use of vocal vibrato .
You see , I maintain that we don ’ t actually have a problem with vibrato as much as we have a problem with unnatural vibrato . With little or no vocal training , many young singers try to emulate more mature voices and often incorporate poor technique ( s ) in doing so . Therefore , many young singers have exercised a type of vibrato that may imitate a natural one but overall doesn ’ t end up functioning like one ( more on that later ). Moreover , many teachers misunderstand vibrato or simply ignore their students ’ choice of vibrato thus creating a repeating pattern from teacher to student and even on to the random copycat artist . However , a singing tone that completely lacks vibrato is a tense , tight tone that is equally uncomfortable to listen to . So where does this leave us ?
WHAT IS VIBRATO ? An in-depth study of vibrato can be quite technical . There are many facets to the physical aspect of creating vibrato . For this article , I want to keep it relatively simple , so I went to the dictionary . According to dictionary . com : noun , Music . a pulsating effect , produced in singing by the rapid reiteration of emphasis on a tone . I really like this definition . Some definitions go on to include a slight variation in pitch but I declined to use them because therein can lie the problem and I want to clarify that , so stay tuned .
HOW DO WE CREATE VIBRATO ? Here is where the rubber meets the road . The way in which we create vibrato has a huge effect on whether or not the sound is pleasant to our ears . There are multiple ways to create or affect a vocal vibrato . In my opinion , one way , in particular , creates what I believe is the most natural , unaffected vibrato . Here are three common types of vibrato that I find in most singers today …
Air pressure vibrato . This type of vibrato is created by the forcing of air against the vocal folds . The ensuing tension creates a tremor in the muscles of , and surrounding , the vocal folds . The resulting tremor is quite fast . Critics of singers with this type of vibrato have made interesting references … eg . “… exceedingly vibrant and fluttery tone , which was unkindly likened by her detractors to the chatter of a machine-gun or the rattle of dice in a cup .” Quite descriptive !
Larynx ( or pitch ) manipulation vibrato . The most common vibrato , because of how easy it is to apply , larynx / pitch manipulation vibrato is the result of changing pitch rapidly , back and forth . The regular oscillation of the two pitches in a rhythmic fashion creates the tone vibration that we have often come to associate with vocal vibrato . This is a simple enough technique to add to the voice and even untrained singers can accomplish it , in fact they often do so unwittingly by trying to emulate more mature voices .
Diaphragm ( or air ) generated vibrato . This vibrato is the result of allowing the natural vibrations of the diaphragm to pulsate air to the vocal folds . The folds vibrate in response to the pulsating air and therefor are affected more by amplitude than pitch modulation . I agree with Fischer , Peter-Michael : Die Stimme des Sängers when he says , " This combination is relatively stable in the most beautiful voices .”
In each of these types of vibratos there is an element of muscle memory involved that enables the singer to keep a steady , regular use of vibrato throughout their tone .
TO VIBRATE OR NOT TO VIBRATE , IS THAT THE QUESTION ? Next month I will explore more with you how singers develop these different types of vibratos and what the eventual consequences are of each . For now , I would like to leave you with the idea that not all vibrato is bad . In fact , a natural , rhythmic vibrato that doesn ’ t change pitch ( at least not much anyway ) is actually a very relaxed and attractive sound . There is a place for natural vibrato and we will explore that more next time . In case you don ’ t believe me , I suggest you listen to Whitney Houston ’ s version of “ I ’ ll Always Love You ” and tell me how much her vibrato bothers you …
Sheri Gould Sheri is an internationally acclaimed vocal coach . She ’ s been helping artists and worshipers find their voice for over 40 years . For help and resources visit her site . www . SheriGould . com