Vibrato... how do I get it....

Vibrato happens when the voice alternates quickly and precisely between two pitches that are close together. This variation in pitch shouldn’t go beyond a semitone either way from the intended note. The effect of vibrato is often perceived to add warmth and character to the voice.

Most agree that vibrato is a way for our body to induce muscle relaxation. Because the body needs muscular relaxation, during intense vocal use such as sustained notes at high pitches, vibrato is the body’s natural way of trying to relax. It’s the same as other muscles in our body. Muscles in our arms or legs begin to shake when lifting or holding heavy objects for prolonged periods of time. In other words, the muscles of the larynx begin to pulse or shake in response to tension placed on them for prolonged periods of time, and that produces what we hear and experience as vibrato.

Vibrato should occur naturally and happens in order to protect and maintain the healthy function of the vocal folds. A lack of understanding about what vibrato is and how it is works has many singers to trying to reproduce incorrect and sometimes unhealthy imitations of it.

Many singers who may be untrained or poorly trained, expect to hear something that actually may not have anything to do with natural vibrato. They get these ideas because of the contemporary singers they hear that try to reproduce the phenomenon unnaturally. They mistake bad technique for true vibrato. Not only are these over-prominent vibratos not appealing, they are also generally not healthy. Forcing the pitch variance can place too much stress on the untrained or undeveloped voice

I don’t focus a lot of time working on vibrato with students because I’ve found through the years of teaching and singing that developing good technique allows the vibrato to develop naturally. However, in this fast paced world of “gotta have it right now,” many students are trading solid vocal technique for vocal tricks and stunts.

This disposable or revolving talent door doesn’t allow enough time for proper training. If it can’t be changed in an hour then we can fix it with “studio magic,” and when this voice wears out, well, there will be another one ready to take over… and so on and so on...

When your voice is free, relaxed and correctly supported vibrato will happen spontaneously. If you take your time and train properly, vibrato is not something you need to force. Remember, it’s something our bodies do naturally. You don’t need to push in and out with your hands on your the upper abdomen to make vibrato happen. And if you do this before the voice is ready you are risking injury to the voice. It will happen naturally when good singing techniques have been properly developed. This may not be the popular teaching philosophy of the day, but I believe it is the responsible one.