When vibrato flows effortlessly into your voice, it's a sign that something really good is happening. You will master the technique when you know how to breathe and position your voice correctly, with your body aligned, releasing tension. In short, vibrato is a sign of good vocal technique. However, there are several ways to do it the wrong way. The intention is not to imitate, it is to actually do it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Producing vibrato naturally
Step 1. Open the back of your throat
To do this, just yawn. Try to keep the sensation of yawning in your mouth and throat as you sing. Can you imitate that same feeling without yawning, too?
To sing well (and with vibrato) you need to relax and open up. If your throat is closed, the sound will not flow and your tone will not be powerful and rich. You may even hit a few notes, but your full range will be compromised
Step 2. Relax your muscles completely
If you don't relax, you won't be able to sing with vibrato. The technique should come naturally if you relax and don't strain your voice. Release tension in the body. Move your neck in a circular motion, stretching out to the sides. You have to let go on the outside so you don't get stuck on the inside.
This includes all the muscles in your face and head, too, like your jaw and tongue. These parts should make little effort, whether singing in a standard key or in vibrato
Step 3. To breathe correctly, posture is needed
To master the airflow (which is extremely important) maintain good posture, with one foot slightly in front of the other. The neck, head and torso must be in a straight line. Subglottic pressure is controlled by the abdomen, lower back, chest and gluteal muscles.
If seated, stand on the edge of the chair with your back straight, looking straight ahead. Even if you are reading the lyrics to the song, stay upright
Step 4. Sing with your diaphragm
Breathe deeply. Your shoulders shouldn't go up, nor should your diaphragm go down. When singing the note, focus on naturalness. Let it flow.
Singing properly doesn't require hard work. If you feel like you're forcing a specific sound, you're doing it wrong. Vibrato is natural - if it doesn't work, don't push it. For now, you should focus on other aspects of the voice. Vibrato is the icing of the cake, not the flour in the dough. He comes last
Step 5. Your breathing flow should be constant and even
Not breathing or breathing without rhythm is common when singing. To produce the sound you want, keep the amount of air constant and equal. Otherwise, your vibrato will oscillate throughout the room.
In addition to constancy, you must always release the same amount of air for your vibrato to have consistency. Otherwise, your vibrato will lose power or it will be short and fast - both situations should be avoided
Step 6. Be subtle
You've probably heard singers with vibratos so strong that they end up dominating the music. They just don't stop and become a distraction. Don't be one of those singers. Vibrato is much more interesting when it's light and natural. It should be like an unexpected ice cream and not an ice cream spread all over you and everywhere.
Furthermore, you need to know when vibrato is appropriate - which, of course, is not all the time. If you sing the song all in one note, it won't be interesting. If you sing the whole song in vibrato, it won't be interesting either. So, use the technique sparingly, alternating as needed or when you think it's appropriate
Step 7. Master other techniques if necessary
If vibrato doesn't come naturally, then don't be pushing yourself. Many professionals perform vibrato the wrong way or just fake it (you'll see more later). Vibrato is a consequence of vocal practice. That said, keep working your voice and eventually you'll make it. With more technique, it will be easy to perform a vibrato.
Focus on your resonance and timbre instead. You will develop the correct singing habits, as well as breathing naturally and relaxing. By placing sounds correctly in your mouth, relaxing your jaw and mouth, you will be able to sing in vibrato
Part 2 of 3: Understanding true vibrato
Step 1. Your vibrato will develop at the right time if you sing correctly
Some singing teachers will help you focus on your vibrato by going through some stimulation exercises. This will not be the true vibrato, however, it will be a kind of imitation. If you sing correctly, vibrato will come naturally as a result.
This is an aspect of singing that comes with time. There is no magic formula for developing technique. It takes a good tone and a lot of breathing support before you want to move forward
Step 2. Understand what vibrato is
Technically speaking, vibrato is a smooth oscillation of pitch in a note. It's a small natural pitch variation on a well-produced note. It cannot be manipulated naturally.
Most people believe that vibrato adds depth to the voice. It is perceived in the ears as a variation in pitch, but it is actually part of it
Step 3. Understand its usefulness
Sure, vibrato sounds nice, but it's also useful for the voice. Not only is it the center of the tone, it also helps your muscles relax. Basically, your larynx pulses to deal with the pressure it's getting. She is there to protect your vocal cords from calluses and other damage.
Think of it as lifting weights. When your muscles are under pressure, they automatically start to shake. Have you ever thought about why this happens? The mechanism is basically the same throughout your entire body
Step 4. Understand that vibrato is not the same as wobble or tremolo
Many people “fake” their vibratos because they don't have muscles trained to do the technique naturally. Let's see a little more about the other variations.
- Trillo Sounds like a bleating goat, period. It's a very fast vibrato staccato. It happens when the breath is not supported enough and the sound is scattered.
- Wobble. Occurs when cycles are slow and scattered. There's more variation in tone, too. It usually happens when there is a lack of concentration on the tone or lack of breath support.
- Tremolo. In contrast to “Wobble” (which is slow), tremolo is actually very fast. It occurs when there is too much glottal pressure, resulting in tension around the base of the tongue.
Part 3 of 3: Exercises to produce a vibrato-like sound
Step 1. Try a diaphragm exercise
Place your hands at the end of your chest where your ribs meet. Now move your hands a little lower (in the soft area just above the navel). Sing a note at a time comfortable for you. As you do this, push your hands to your stomach. Push, release, push again, and so on. Do this exercise at a rate of three to four cycles per second.
By the way, this type of exercise usually results in a tremolo. The volume changes while the tone remains the same, ie it is not a vibrato. However, you can get an idea of how muscles work
Step 2. Place one finger on the larynx
Some teachers recommend that students place a finger over the larynx, moving it back and forth while singing in a single key. This will result in a sound similar to vibrato, but as mentioned earlier, it will not be true vibrato. Even so, it will give you an idea of how muscles can function in new ways.
Don't completely rely on these exercises. As has been said many times, the real and natural vibrato appears on its own. These exercises are just for you to see your voice in other ways
Step 3. Switch between two notes
A higher note and one that is half a step lower. This is another method teachers use to teach students. You should alternate between two notes, increasing the speed until it looks similar to a vibrato. The goal is to achieve six to eight cycles per second.
As you can guess, this isn't vibrato either. It's an imitation technique to have a similar sound. Just remember that the alternating notes must be no more than half a step apart
Step 4. Don't get the “Maxillar Gospel”
You know those singers who move their jaws at every alternation of vibrato? So that's not how you should do it, whether you're at Whitney Houston or not. Your jaw should be completely relaxed during singing, as should the rest of your body. Yes, moving your jaw can mimic the sound, but it won't be natural or healthy.
The term “Maxillary Gospel” comes from the fact that many gospel singers sing this way. Another well-known name is “Vibrato de Maxillar”, as the sound is not projected from your vocal chords, but from the movement of your jaw
Tips
- Do not exaggerate. If you sing incorrectly, not only will you not vibrate, you will force your voice.
- A vibrato comes when you relax your throat and push your diaphragm. It is the result of the relaxation of the external laryngeal muscles, which are not able to remain still in position when the sound is emitted.
- Vibrato happens when your voice quickly changes between two different sounds. The range of a vibrato can vary greatly. Some people have shorter vibratos while others have wider vibratos.
