How to stop that darn vibrato?

[FOCI]

Posted: 9/11/04 at 7:10pm

Hey, I was wondering if some on the music afficionados on this stie could help me out. I have a pretty strong natural vibrato and if I hold a note for more than like 2 seconds that damn vibrato kicks in, esp. if it is a higher note in my range. This usually doesn't bother me but it is becoming a problem when I want to sing more( I guess the word is "poppish?") songs and want a more natural, less-trained sound to my voice. How do I ditch the vibrato?
p.s. In case anyone says "ask your voice teacher"-I would but she is on vacation right now and I won't see her for another week. I'm curious right now.

Updated On: 9/11/04 at 07:10 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/11/04 at 7:19pm

I used to find that practicing singing songs full voice using only a straight tone helped me to get my vibrato under control. While your habit and natural inclination is to "allow" the vibrato to kick in, concentrate on your breathing and focus on singing a pure straight tone. You'll find that this will eventually give you a lot more control over your ability to color and shape each and every note you sing. And when you "put your vibrato back in" you'll have greater ability to alter the speed and intensity of of your vibrato and have the option not to use it at all or only use it, say, at the very end of a phrase for effect. Good luck.

[FOCI]

Posted: 9/11/04 at 8:20pm

Thanks Margo. Sounds like a difficult task, but I'll defnitely try.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/11/04 at 8:30pm

Start out by singing quietly -- sotto voce then mezzo voce. It's a little easier that way (I found in the beginning that at full voice, my vibrato would kick in automatically, no matter how much I tried for it not to). Focus on your breathing and making the purest quiet sound you can -- then gradually raise the volume. Do scales on each vowel sound, then move onto songs. You won't like the sound of your voice in the beginning without the vibrato, but keep working on it and you'll get more confidence in your ability to shade the timbre of your voice without vibrato. Really open up and see how full and rich a sound you can make with a straight tone. Just keep working on it -- in the long run it'll make you a much better and more versatile singer and your interpretational abilities will grow by leaps and bounds.

Updated On: 9/11/04 at 08:30 PM

[xroger4lifex]

Posted: 9/11/04 at 11:56pm

i know that this is really bad to do but sometimes when youre desperate it works...i know that if youre tense while singing then you wont have vibrato...usually if your throat and neck are tense...this is really bad for your vocal chords but if you do it a couple times to get used to the sound and feel of it its usually easier to do what you want but correctly

[FOCI]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 2:33am

ARRGGGH! You were definitely right about not liking the way my voice sounds at first without the vibrato on those big notes. It's actually kind of scary. I just got back from a performance benefit thing and I tried to do without my vibrato about halfway through on one part of a song, but I just didn't like the way it sounded so I had to stop. Small steps, I know it won't happen immediately.Ironically though, I went to a party afterwards and "loosened up" a lot I guess you could say and as I am singing to myself while going home my voice sounds just fine without the vibrato.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 3:01am

i know that this is really bad to do but sometimes when youre desperate it works...i know that if youre tense while singing then you wont have vibrato...usually if your throat and neck are tense...this is really bad for your vocal chords but if you do it a couple times to get used to the sound and feel of it its usually easier to do what you want but correctly

Really? Usually when I'm nervous my vibrato is really strong and I can't control it.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 4:11am

Don't do the non-vibrato thing publicly for a few months at least, until you start feeling really comfortable with it as it being "your" voice. Confidence is absolutely everything when you're performing in front of an audience and if you start second-guessing yourself and start thinking about every note you're going to sing, it'll undermine your whole performance. Sing as you have been singing publicly for now -- you can begin incorporating new songs with your "new sound" later when you begin to feel confident about it.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 8:14am

Margo, will you be my mother now?

[Al Dente]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 8:33am

But this entire board is obsessed with girls that have unruly vibratto's, why get rid of yours? And yes, I'm being sarcastic!

[InTheMoney]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 12:10pm

BlueWizard, when you're nervous your breath is more shaky anyway - you may have noticed that when people are nervous their voices shake when they speak? Well it works the same way with your singing voice.

I would advise not cutting out the vib all together unless your vocal teacher says to - it can be damaging.

[FOCI]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 2:15pm

Yes, Al Dente, I knew you were being sarcastic.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 2:41pm

be careful with your voice--you should practice this with your teacher. don't try anything involving tension.

be proud of your vibrato and that it works so easily for you. the vibrato is very important for your voice. for one thing, it keeps you on pitch.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 5:42pm

At what age does vibrato generally begin to appear?

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 5:48pm

It varies with talent, experience, and work.

I had vibrato really young, I've had it as long as I can remember singing. It was an untrained vibrato, which changed with voice lessons, but natural nonetheless. It comes with practice and don't try to create it. It's unhealthy and sounds horrible. Updated On: 9/12/04 at 05:48 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 5:55pm

I'm sorry but every time I read this on the board I think I'm seeing "How to stop that darn VIBRATOR?" and well. you make your own mental pictures! (lol)

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 6:43pm

Just remember support when you are practicing. Even if you start soft, remember to support your breath. If you collapse your diaphragm and let your body go slack your sound will be weak and thready. One of the hardest things to do is hold a straight tone perfectly on pitch. Most singers will waver from pitch slightly while holding a note without the use of vibrato. When you sing a note straight, your vocal chords must stay at a single tension and at the same position to keep the note on pitch; while when you vibrate a note, the vocal chords don't have to be as precise. That's a plus of vibrato. But back to my point. If you are drilling on straight tones keep your ribcage supported and also get a solid stream of air going from your lungs. With enough practice you will be able to "turn on and off" your vibrato. Once you find something that works show your voice teacher when she gets back to make sure you aren't doing something that could damage your voice. Since we are only on the boards and not right with you, you should consult her afterward to make sure you chose a healthy style.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 6:50pm

Excellent advice, Mr. TN.

[Mr. TN]

Posted: 9/12/04 at 7:01pm

Thank you, Margo.

If there is anything else FOCI, just ask on the board. And let us know of your progress.