In order to sing vibrato well, it’s important to understand what it is along with why and when to use it.
Is it for showing off another fancy technique or reaching a grand crescendo? Possibly that’s the case in opera however in other vocal styles it shouldn’t be used like that.
What is Vibrato?
Vibrato is an oscillation between pitches or a trill. If done correctly it should be a pulsing between pitches that moves more side-to-side than up and down. Pulsing is the keyword here.
For stylish and soulful singing, it’s best to avoid vibrato that goes way up and down in a wobbly way. It should be an even sound and have the sensation of air pulsing across your vocal cords.
Imagine the sensation of a vibrato tightly spinning between the pitches rather than wobbling up and down between them. It’s often hidden or almost hidden to the listener even though they feel the emotion of it.
How to Sing Vibrato Video
In this short video, Brett Manning from the famous Singing Success course shares his professional insights about vibrato. You’ll definitely find it interesting watching him demonstrate and talk about it.
Why Sing Vibrato?
The reason to sing vibrato is to convey that extra ounce of emotion to the performance and touch the hearts of those listening. Subtlety is the key to excellent stylistic vibrato.
When to Use It?
If you listen closely to good vocalists you’ll notice that they use vibrato ever so slightly. It’s like they turn it on at just the right moment to add that perfect amount of feel to a phrase.
Most listeners don’t even realize that they’re doing it and this is how vibrato should be used. Think of it as a way to add color, soul, and emotion to the lyrics rather than vocal acrobatics.
In fact, even if no vibrato is used the phrase should still sound great. When you sing vibrato, it should only be to add color to what already is sounding pretty damn good. Get the picture?
