This is a bit of a weird question, and one I must remember to ask my teacher, but I find sometimes when I sing I do vibrato, but I have never "tried" to or made it happen. Not constant or huge or anything. I don't (as far as I have noticed...) move my mouth as I have seen some singers do along with their vibrato.

Is it possible that it's just natural to me? Is it possible to work out if it is just a natural vibrato or if I am doing something I shouldn't be doing?

Hi Sarah, I've always had a vibrato in my voice too. I'd be interested to hear responses to your query. It isn't something my teacher has commented on as either a positive or negative.

My singing has always been based on things I've heard, so I suspect that, rather than it being natural, it's more that I've learned to imitate particular vocal features, and vibrato is one of them.

Many mature voices have a natural vibrato. A well trained singer will be able to control the pace and intensity of it but, yes it is possible to produce it incorrectly. Have you ever heard singers who sound like goats on speed? They are usually singing with a rapid throat vibrato and sound dreadful! I know a middle-aged lady not too far from here who really fancies herself as a good singer who actually shakes her torso as she wobbles merrily on her way.

Hi there.
Vibrato is something that is naturally present in matur(ing) voices. Your teacher won't comment unless there is something wrong - i.e. excess, which would be due to bad support. Yes, experienced singers can adjust the amount of vibrato on notes. For instance, I sometimes take vibrato off a particular note (not a whole phrase) to deaden the sound for expression. But I never ADD it. The maximum vibrato heard in my voice is limited to what is there naturally with adequate support. And the mouth/jaw should NEVER move other than up or down in a relaxed way (think gormless!) with the words/pitch of notes. (The jaw is lower for high notes, and notes at the lower end of your range). If you see someone's mouth wobbling with vibrato, that is very wrong.
To summarise - as long as your support is adequate, and the sound is in the right place - spinning forward - the vibrato you produce will be fine. Never try to add more. Be patient with the development of the voice, which includes tone as well as vibrato - it takes YEARS. Trust your teacher - they should tell you if things are not right.

Ann
Ann

Ann

OK... well from what I have understood I *think* I'm not doing anything wrong, then

I'll have to remember to ask my teacher.

I guess although I have had only a few singing lessons so far, I have been singing since at least the age of 7 when we started violin lessons (our teacher always included singing from the very beginning) and I've always been involved in choirs etc, so 20 years of singing would have contributed toward maturing my voice despite having no lessons for most of that time!

I've never liked the kind of singing which involves throat vibrato (there was a girl at school who earned the nickname of the electronic sheep for her excessive vibrato, bleh!) or wobbling mouths.

I'll have to see if I can get someone to video me (eeek!) or at least sing to a mirror to check I'm not doing anything that I haven't noticed.

I really want to listen to the electronic sheep! Sorry to make light of an interesting discussion, but I am snowed in today and should be at school taking a choir practice right now.

I can turn my vibrato on and off like a tap. But I only ever use what is naturally there.

Vibrato also comes with age, so if you are a young singer you are not likely to have that much.

The bets way I have found for practising all aspects of tone, and control is vaccaj exercises. You will find out what your natural vibrato can do as you concentrata on producing a beautiful tone, and colour individual notes.

That is far healthier than getting preoccupied.

And as Ann has said, talk to your teacher.

I think a good rule of thumb is that you let vibrato happen rather than make it happen. Actually that goes for all your singing.

If you are relaxed and putting all your energy into your song, your natural vibrato will happen. Then you just relax and enjoy it.

And yes, I used relax twice in one sentence deliberately.

I know a middle-aged lady not too far from here who really fancies herself as a good singer who actually shakes her torso as she wobbles merrily on her way.

I heard a story once about a tenor who always fancied a bit of vibrato but couldn't work out how to do it. One day he discovered it - by standing on one foot and wobbling the other one.

How young is young? Does 27 still count as a young voice?


Oh definitely. Just don't want to find myself ingraining bad habits!


*grin*

27 is still counted as relatively young, but I would expect there to be some vibrato there by now.

Record yourself. You will surprised how much is actually there.

"I think a good rule of thumb is that you let vibrato happen rather than make it happen. Actually that goes for all your singing" (Katyjay)

OK... well yep there's some vibrato so I guess if that is expected at my age then probably I'm not doing it wrong (I hope )

Letting vibrato happen... I think that I do - because I wouldn't know how to *make* it!

If it's likely that I would have some natural vibrato... then that's reassuring... thanks everyone

Is age really a factor in vibrato? I know when I was in choir in 5th grade (that's about 11 years old) my teacher noticed that I had some vibrato, as did my next teacher a couple years later.

I find vibrato a very contengious subject! I have several students who would like to sing with vibrato, but find they can't. One is 15 and is just about to do Grade 4. She is quite self concious about it. She can do it if she remembers to engage all the right techniques and relaxes, but then when she does get it, she's not sure she likes it, so stops it happening. Another girl who is nearly 16 and just about to take Grade 2 actually has natural vibrato developing, and I guess that in a few years, she will sound really good. Of course the thing is, that teenage female voices develop as well (though not as radically as boys) - they wan't to be able to sing wonderfully yesterday. It's had trying to make them be patient, and understand that these techniques like vibrato will develop naturally over time.

Some people like it, and some don't. I think sometimes, some people use it too much - for example, one student I teach uses quite 'dramatic' sounding vibrato all the time, even for very short notes. I personally don't like this - it's over done and not appropriate for some songs. However, her vibrato is natural and I don't really think she's aware she's doing it. At this stage, I don't think I'd say anything unless it came up - if she's happy with it then I would tend to just let her be for the moment - she's only been learning for about a year.

David

If there's not much vibrato present in a 34 year old voice is it ever likely to develop?

LM, I just listened to both your recordings, and I thought there was a really nice amount of vibrato present, I think it sounds awful when a voice is really laden with vibrato... I guess it's partly a matter of taste but I don't think you have anything to worry about

It did in a 35-36 year old voice - mine! It wasn't there at the start of my singing lessons, but it came as I learned to relax and let my voice ring out.