Ever heard of the term vibrato? If you haven’t heard of the term, it’s still likely that you have heard a singer use this technique.
Vibrato is the pulsating change of a single pitch that is created when a person is singing or even playing certain instruments. Modern science suggests that vibrato is a muscular tremor in the vocal cords.
It is a mix of the right pitch, volume, and timbre, which is the tone of that pitch. It sounds like a vibration of the voice and it adds the perfect amount of emotion and drama behind what is being sung.
Common Misconceptions About Vibrato:
It is not shaking or moving your jaw. Singers may do this while they sing with vibrato to show the audience they are using this technique but make no mistake; the movement of your jaw does not cause vibrato.
It is simply used for dramatization. Vibrato is not the same thing as a trill. Although they may sound similar, the difference is in the notes. When singing a trill, you will rapidly alternate between two notes.
With vibrato, you are sustaining one pitch rapidly and creating a type of vibration in your vocal cords.
This is what vibrato looks like:
Some explain a vibrato as singing two pitches so quickly together it sounds like one sound. This is a great way to learn how to sing with and control a vibrato.
In fact by going over to a piano and paying tow notes back and forth and allowing your voice to copy, you can quite easily train yourself to gain control over your vibrato.
That Vibrato Drill is explained in full in the Voicercise Singing Kit, found here.
Can vibrato be taught or do I just have to have it?
However, this ability typically comes very naturally when you are just singing without thinking too much, which further validates the theory that singing when you are relaxed produces your best voice.
It is the habitual outcome of a singer holding a pitch. If you are a singer and you are unaware of if you have done this before, you most likely have and are just unaware of it.
Here is a great example of what vibrato sounds like.
Don’t worry if you feel like you haven’t mastered vibrato yet, you can certainly learn to. This is something that will be simpler and more effective to learn in person, rather than through a blog post.
If you are interested in learning more about developing your vibrato, contact us to book a lesson! We would love to teach you.
Written by: Airis Kemp (Insta: @ULoveAiris)
