Ah, vibrato. You loaded subject, you. There is so much to say about the function of vibrato in healthy, sustainable singing. But for today’s post, let’s focus on the basics.
WHAT IS VIBRATO?
The term vibrato comes from the Italian verb “vibrare,” which means “to vibrate.” Vibrato is a small oscillation of pitch that occurs while singing. It is the result of sufficient vocal fold closure (adduction) and an evenly regulated airflow. In a healthy vibrato, the larynx remains relatively stable, the vocal folds meet seamlessly, and appropriate subglottic (below the space between your vocal folds) pressure is present. In other words, when we remove excess tension and “holding” and achieve coordinated breath control, vibrato emerges! When the whole body feels springy and responsive, and the criteria above are met, a vibrant tone will occur naturally.
Vibrato is utilized differently depending on musical genre. In classical and operatic singing, vibrato is considered essential to an elite sound and is used almost constantly. Musical theater singers delay their vibrato, allowing it to bloom at the end of long notes and phrases. In most other kinds of Western music, including jazz and contemporary-commercial music, it is considered a color or timbre. Singers use vibrato ornamentally in conjunction with other kinds of sounds. In Baroque and Renaissance styles, as well as much choral literature, singers may be asked to avoid vibrato entirely.
WHY IS VIBRATO IMPORTANT?
Vibrato is important as we develop our voices because the body coordinations necessary to produce it are fundamental to efficient, functional singing. It’s part of what gives voices their unique sound, timbre and color.
The two most fundamental skills of singing are: 1. regulating the breath (breath support), and 2. creating a clear sound (creating vocal fold closure/adduction). Vibrato is only achieved when those two fundamental skills are sufficiently developed and coordinated. So in a very real way, discovering your vibrato is an indication that you are advancing in your mastery of these two major skills!
No matter what genre of music you love to sing, learning to sing with freedom and ease of body movement is crucial. Studies have shown that the vocal folds are not the only things that oscillate during vibrato. The epiglottis, pharyngeal wall (the tissue at the back of the throat) and even the root of the tongue participate in all that movement. According to Richard Miller, the foremost vocal pedagogue of the 20th century, “This motion is a major component of the relaxation process that comes from coordinating breath energy with vocal-fold responses, and is essential to professional vocalism” (Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers).
Lastly, vibrato is part of what gives voices their unique sound, timbre and color. Imagine that you are trying to paint a picture with the sound of your voice. You would want as many colors as possible to create your masterpiece, right? Learning to achieve and regulate your vibrato will help you access to the full spectrum of colors and timbres your voice can create.
COMMON ISSUES IN VIBRATO:
Almost nothing will make a singer more self-conscious than comments about their vibrato. First, it’s highly subjective. Everyone has a different ideal in mind when it comes to voices, and there’s just no pleasing everyone. Second, the list of things that can cause trouble with vibrato is daunting. They include:
- Too much vocal effort
- Uneven breath pressure
- Problematic register transitions
- Inefficient resonance strategies
- Lack of tonus in the extrinsic laryngeal muscles
- Hyper/hypo engagement of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles
Here are the most common issues with vibrato that I’ve come across in my teaching:
Vibrato is too fast:
There can be a number of reasons for this, but the most likely is too much glottal pressure (vocal folds coming together with too much squeeze). It may be that a singer is trying too hard to support their sound or to “help” the vibrato. It may be that the larynx is sitting too high with tension and squeezing. The ribs may be collapsing, or there’s a sensation of the abdominals coming “up and in” when singing. All of these put too much tension on the larynx, preventing the folds from oscillating freely. Working with your teacher on support strategies and balanced adduction of the vocal folds will help a lot!
Vibrato is too slow:
A slow and wide vibrato – often referred to as a “wobble” – can be caused by a few things. The first is the result of hypo (under) -functioning, or lack of energy. The larynx may be lax and paired with slow moving airflow. It may also be caused by hyper (over) – functioning. Singing with too much weight in the voice and too much air pressure can likewise produce too wide a pitch oscillation in the vibrato.
Straight Tone:
To be clear, I’m not talking about folks who may not have discovered their vibrato yet, or don’t have much that comes naturally. The term “straight tone” refers to intentionally withholding or suppressing vibrato. It is a skill frequently required by choral groups and early music ensembles. While straight tone can be a useful and beautiful color choice, it is not advisable to sing without vibrato consistently. Since vibrato is the natural result of free movement of the larynx, a straight tone is achieved by actively suppressing certain movements within the larynx and holding the anatomy rigid. It is almost always accompanied by too much glottal (space between the vocal folds) closure and air pressure. This creates problems for breath management. It is important when singing in a straight tone to reduce as much compression in the vocal tract as possible, and to take sufficient breaks to realign and reset the voice, allowing it to vibrate freely.
Diaphragmatic Vibrato:
This is the term we use when a singer actively pulsates the abdominals in order to create the impression of vibrato. I have seen this occur most frequently in precocious younger singers trying to mature their sound by imitating fully developed classical singers. Diaphragmatic vibrato is problematic because an inexperienced singer may confuse the feeling of the “in and up” pulsation on pitches with breath support. This confusion can be difficult to untangle.
WHAT IF I HAVE VERY LITTLE VIBRATO? OR NONE AT ALL?
That’s okay! Not everyone has a prominent vibrato. The important thing to focus on is balancing those two fundamental skills: breath control and vocal fold closure. The more coordinated they are, the more the voice will reveal itself.
If you are performing music in a genre that doesn’t use a lot of vibrato, it can be helpful to rebrand vibrato as vibrancy or potential. My private teacher in graduate school, Pamela Fry, once said to me “whether or not you use vibrato on every pitch, we should always hear the potential for it on every note.” It’s one of the most helpful things I have ever heard, and it has stayed with me all these years. We can choose to limit our use of vibrato. But even if we’re suppressing those oscillations, we want to feel as though the singing apparatus is free enough that vibrato could occur if wanted. That vibrancy in the voice is constantly present.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Vibrato is a sign of a healthy, functional voice. Learning to control and manage it can give you access to a wide range of colors and sounds to use in your singing. And remember that just because you CAN vibrate all the time doesn’t mean you HAVE to. You can choose to use your vibrato as a color rather than a constant. If you’re having trouble achieving a steady, fluid vibrato, consider enlisting the help of an experienced voice teacher. And as always, remember to prioritize PROCESS over PRODUCT. It’s in the struggle of learning new things that we discover the most about ourselves and our voices!
