Vibrato

[heytheremary11]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone out there could give me any sort of advice on vibrato when singing as you could tell by the title! I'm on the right track with it and there are times when I'm holding out a really long and high notes it comes out really well but a lot of the time it sounds like sort of a nervous shake which I am NOT very fond of. I was just wondering if there was any advice that could be given over the forum without having to pay for a vocal coach which I don't have the money for?

Thanks so much!

Mary

[chased]

I've only had a few singing lessons (didnt help much) but what I retained about vibrato was:

1. Not everyone can do it. It can be learned, but the quality of it depends on the timbre of your voice

2. It's 100% about breathing, but I can't quite remember how to do it.

3. It's important to control it, make sure you're counting beats while you hold the note and hold it for a set time, don't just let it trail off.

Well, that may not help at all but hey, you pay peanuts: you get monkeys!!

[Retrosaurus Rex]

I'm on the right track with it and there are times when I'm holding out a really long and high notes it comes out really well but a lot of the time it sounds like sort of a nervous shake which I am NOT very fond of.

 

You are on the right track. I would suggest that you be mindful of how it feels, especially when you get it right, and focus on recapturing that feeling. If you don't have money for lessons you could at least seek out somebody more experienced and pick their brains for a few minutes on the subject, most people are happy to share. That way you could pick up some specific ideas about techniques and results to be mindful of.

 

Good luck!

[heytheremary11]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely try to find someone helpful, but you both really helped me out a lot! Thanks again!

Mary

[LayneGreene]

I think one important thing to keep in mind is that vibrato is a natural thing, if you're forcing it at all, then you're probably not doing it quite right. I was always taught that if you're singing with good technique there will be a hint of vibrato. good luck!

[Rudi]

I struggle with this.

I can do it in the lower end of 'chest' baritone register, and at the higher 'head' falsetto end.

 

In between, it just doesnt want to happen.

 

Mary, what follows is personal experience only.

 

Experiment with vocal volume.

It seems to work best at higher volume, as if you are trying to be heard over a noisy crowd.

I recommend recording yourself to try this out. The reason is you rarely ever hear yourself correctly without recording (or possibly plugging up one ear as the folkies do).

 

Try to sing as loudly as sensibly possible. If overdone (too loud) you lose voice control, but that difference can be subtle, hence the reason for recording. It doesn’t even need to be a good recorder. The internal mic & software in your PC will do at a pinch.

 

If you can crack that, then hopefully practice will enable further development.

[Kel]

I know when I'm doing it right because the windows shake, but don't shatter!