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Does anyone know an optimal (or any) way to develop some vibrato in one's voice, or is it just in the genes? Any excellent documentation you'd recommend regarding how to get there? This may be a silly question but I'd love to know!!

Thanks,
cchallum

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If you have an otherwise good singing voice, vibrato can be learned. You might seek out a choir leader in a church or school or a local voice instructor. And although I can't recommend any in particular, there are CD and DVD courses that teach vocal technique.

From all of the above choices, you can probably spend as much or as little as you want. But you WILL learn vibrato.

Stage fright worked fine for me, though. *g*

HTH,

Richard


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Richard,

Thanks....I glad to know that vibrato CAN definitely be achieved. I'm planning to definitely do it.

Thanks again for your comments,
cchallum

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Hi cchallum,
You could of course fake it Just to "git er done."

This only works if you are NOT playing live.

Just grab the loose skin on your throat and give it a wiggle at the appropriate moment/s

It works.

Regards
Michee


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To be on the safe side, let's start with a definition of the term.

Vibrato is actually a very slight change of pitch or frequency, centered on the target note but moving ever so lightly sharp and then flat of it repetitively.

The speed in which you perform this slight pitch change is also a part of the thing.

Sometimes the song calls for a slower vibrato, other times a faster one. Sometimes there are cases where you might use a different speed vibratos for different parts of the same song, too. For example, a long duration whole note, it might be more apropos to start with a slower speed vibrato that gets a bit faster as you hold the note. Or vise verse.

If you already know the above, please forgive the elementary explanation. But if you by chance do not, it will be worth it.

Some folks will mistake Tremelo for Vibrato as well. Two different terms, two different ways of modulating the voice (or the wind instrument for that matter).

Vibrato is that small change in the pitch as described.

Tremelo is a change of amplitude (or loudness, if you will) and can also have differing speeds as "called for" by the job at hand.

To start learning to sing the Vibrato, try matching a long held note with your voice and then try slowly changing the pitch around that pitch center, going upwards above the note slightly first, then crossing back over the note to slightly below that note, back up, back down, etc. not trying for the faster vibrato at first, but trying for the equal amount of pitch shifting sharp then flat, sharp then flat, etc. Good thing to exagerate the pitch shift a bit at first, as you work on this just a short ten minute session twice a day, after a certain unspecified number of days you should find that you are able to narrow the amount of picth shift a bit, and so on.

Important to always take a breath, fill the lungs, and then use the diaphragmatic muscles to expell air over the vocal cords to get sound. Don't ever try to sing by "pinching" the throat. Throat stays relaxed, within reason, of course, there must be some tension there, but the power comes from the moving air, not constricing the throat to create higher air velocity.

Lastly, it is important to decide WHEN it is appropriate to use vibrato in singing - and when it is not. Different genres demand different styles. For example, it is sometimes not needed, or at least not explicit, as in, say, certain jazz and pop genres.


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Hey Mac,
Is there anything that you don't know? I'm amazed at that explaination. Best I've ever heard. That even helped an old gezer like me.

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Quite a few years ago now, I had one teacher who made a great impression on me.

That man got it through my thick skull that one should TEACH IN ORDER TO LEARN.

Things that I could do intuitively, he made me have to put them into words and instruct others.

One time, he told me that the ability to EXPOUND freely on a subject requires us to really know and understand the subject.

He used to have his Graduate Students explain rather complex phenomena in laymen's terms - to the janitor. And he told them that unless the janitor grasped the concept when they were done explaining, they didn't know the subject well enough yet.

That, and he also taught me what the word, "love" can really mean in the sense that he was always telling us that one has to LOVE THE STUDENT and nurture.

That old bromide that "those who don't know, teach" only refers to the number of bad teachers in this world, man.

Whatever thing(s) you know, be prepared to "pass it on" for YOU will be the true benefactor from doing that.


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"Important to always take a breath, fill the lungs, and then use the diaphragmatic muscles to expell air over the vocal cords to get sound. Don't ever try to sing by "pinching" the throat. Throat stays relaxed, within reason, of course, there must be some tension there, but the power comes from the moving air, not constricing the throat to create higher air velocity.

Lastly, it is important to decide WHEN it is appropriate to use vibrato in singing - and when it is not. Different genres demand different styles. For example, it is sometimes not needed, or at least not explicit, as in, say, certain jazz and pop genres. "

Hi, All of Mac's advice is important....especially, I feel, regarding breath control. Often in the recording studio, we can be asked for "More vib"..."Less Vib".....so you definitely can learn to control vib in the voice....as you can in other instruments. Practising the excersises that Mac suggested, you'll soon find a noticeable improvement....then, it's deciding WHERE to use it! Best of luck. Joe G.

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Sinatra was the best at holding a long note and then letting a beautiful vibrato end it.He apparently learned this when he was a singer in the Benny Goodman orchestra and listening to certain instruments like the trumpet etc.


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Hi

This is the biggest difference between emulations and real instruments mostly in Brass and woodwind after about six years with a WX5 i still have not mastered it if you ever can for it to sound natural

regards Dave


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The janitor theory is an interesting one, but I've met a bunch that were way smarter than most folks, and especially smarter than me. I like the idea of learning by teaching. In my limited forays into teaching I have learned much, not only about the target subject but all kinds of other stuff. Makes it more fun. I never liked teachers that had big egos and were a bit full of themselves. Anyway, good advice Mac and I too am amazed at your broad range of knowledge on various topics. I'm always ready to read and follow your advice.

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Quote:

Sinatra was the best at holding a long note and then letting a beautiful vibrato end it.




That kind of control is exquisite and difficult to attain. I know many solid professional singers with years of career who never attain that kind of beautiful subtle drift into vibrato.

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There's a lot of info on singing technique on the web. If you go to YAHOO for example (or any search engine) and enter +vocal +vibrato without quotes, you'll get many hits on articles about singing technique and vibrato.

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Once Again,

Thanks so very much to each of you for your suggestions. I read them with great care and I'm so glad I asked. This has got to be one of the most effective forums that exists. I'm already into doing exactly what Mac suggested and have paid particular attention to the other suggestions as well.

I greatly appreciate each of you,
cchallum

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