Vibratto - I'm desperate

[Derech2]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 3:57pm

I figured this was Broadway related enough. My apologies if it shouldn't be here.

All my friends and their dog have been trying since forever to teach me vibratto. I've been singing in theater for quite a few years, but I have never been able to produce a nice vibratto (nevermind a nice one; I've never been able to produce vibratto period). If I can't do it is it due to my singing technique? Am I singing incorrectly? I've had a few voice lessons (not recently though) so I do know how to breath correctly, as I've been told vibratto is largely due to breathing. For a boy my age, I seem to have the ability to produce a considerably larger amount of volume with my voice than most of my other guy friends; but I don't really know if that has anything to do with it.

So if anyone could help me, I'd be forever grateful. Thanks alot

[wickedwitchofthechest]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:12pm

How old are you? Vibrato develops later in some voices than others. (I have a friend who's 19 and a future opera singer who has no vibrato to speak of). If your voice is fully mature, then you're probably attempting to control it or straining in some way, which is not good, and I'd suggest more voice lessons.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:14pm

take more voice lessons... this means you are controlling your voice and throat too much and not loose enough when you sing...

[Derech2]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:20pm

I'm 15. My voice changed started changing when I was 11 or 12 ... is there a general age when vocally one stops progressing? My voice sounds basically the same as someone 18, 25, or 30. Can I expect to have the same voice in 3 or 4 years?

Maybe I'll try voice lessons again ...

[RumTumTugger22]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:23pm

I can't really make a vibratto if i'm really nervous or if i'm singing such a passion it just comes out. But thats just me.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:28pm

People with larger voices usually have issues with vibrato. I wouldn't worry abut it too much. Just get back into voice lessons, and vibrato usually takes care of itself. A good vibrato is simultaneously straight tone and vibrato. So, when you get the sensation of straight tone, but the sound is also vibrato, you'll know it is right. Make sure it comes from freedom, not creation, and also make sure the tone is consistant through the slight pitch changes that vibrato makes.

It's tricky to know the exact problem without having heard your particular voice, but the above are vibrato notes for everyone.

[wickedwitchofthechest]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:28pm

Hmm...you're still pretty young. Of course, every voice is different, but most voices will continue to change and mature until somewhere between the ages twenty and thirty. However, if you're producing huge volumes without vibrato, I'd check into voice lessons, as you could be causing damage.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 4:57pm

Vibrato comes very naturally on some voices and it might be best if you try to ease back on the volume you produce and focus on the quality of the sound you produce, not the quantity. Pushing for volume can be damaging. Learn to do it a healthy way before you do it.

[BroadwayBound06]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 5:03pm

I have a voice much like your's i don't particularly like vibrato, but mine didn't develop until about last year. So just wait it out, it'll come. But once u have it don't overdue it, because the more you use it, the bigger and wider it gets.

[cturtle]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 5:16pm

you might try singing outside. judy garland once said her vibratto was enhanced when she was doing an outdoor concert and a moth flew into her mouth. she just kept on singing.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 5:52pm

Definitely keep taking voice lessons. I think vibrato comes naturally in some people because I've never had a voice lesson in my life (only informal vocal coaching) and I just had an audition last week and I was told that I have a very nice vibrato. Keep working and you'll get it! :)

[RumTumTugger]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 5:56pm

This is really funny because I'm 15 and used to have the same problem.

Unfortunatly, it's something that comes naturally but once you have it, it becomes second nature.

Good Luck with it!

[bernadette88]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 6:24pm

A vibratto is something that should come naturaly. I am 16; my voice changed when I was about 12, and no sooner did a realize that not only was it changing in pitch but in tone also. It wasn't something I really had to work it, it just came. Now of course I had my two vocal coaches imrpove it and stretch it more, but basically it just came easily. Most likely you voice hasn't FULLY developed. Yes it may have changed and you are know longer a boy soprano, but that doesn't mean it has fully matured and developed. Voice lessons will definitely help you to improve tone, quality, and things like a nice smooth vibratto. I wouldn't stress about it too much. Your voice will get there. Good-luck

Oh yea...what voice part do you sing?

[maybethistime]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 6:54pm

I agree. My voice changed when I was about 12 or 13 and I always had a nice vibratto and belt before that. After it changed, it took me a while to get used to it and learn how to control volume and belt without straining, etc. I'd go back to voice lessons and try joinging a chior. Anything you can do to get more usage of your voice will help you learn to control it and most likly produce the sound you're looking for.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 8:10pm

When you're young, performers tend to have more tension in their neck and vocal chords in order to produce sound. Now that you've passed through the voice changing state, you've got to learn to relax your voice. A natural vibrato won't come out if you're tense in your neck. Also, be careful not to either shake your head or move your jaw. That means that your neck will still (most likely) be tense, and it's hard on your vocal chords. Keep singing!

[Derech2]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 8:18pm

Thanks guy for your great advice. I'll keep at it

Bernadette -- I've never been specifically placed by a vocal teacher, so I don't really know what to call myself. I may fall into the baritone category, but I can easily sing bass, and I can hold a middle F strong enough, but anything past that and I'm a goner LOL

[bjivie2]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 8:20pm

I'm not Bernadette, but I'm going to respond anyway ...

By "middle F" I'm assuming you mean the F above middle C. For guys, that would be considered just an "F." At the moment your would be considered a baritone for the most part. But if you've got an F at age 15, then I'm sure you've got a tenor in you. A good tenor will have a solid G, and a high tenor will have a solid A or Bb. And don't lose your bass notes, they'll come in handy later on...

[bernadette88]

Posted: 1/29/05 at 9:47pm

I agree with bjivie2! Keep working your upper and lower registers! Most musical theatre roles are written for baritones or tenor II's and from the sounds of things thats what your headed for. Definitely DON'T lose those bass notes, but keep working your upper register. And like bjivie2 whatever you do DON'T SHAKE YOUR JAW IN ORDER TO GET A CLEAN VIBRATTO OUT. 1 it strains you too much, and two looks incredible stupid. You DON'T want to look like Jessica Simpson! She was never taught to just relax. Before you do any sort of singing it is a good idea to go through and extensive warmup working both your upper and lower registers as well as massaging in and around you nasal cavities and right near your cheeks to losen up your jawbone. This will hopefully relax everything, and produce a very clean cut sound!

NUMBER 1 IMPORTANT THING: RELAX!!!!!!!!

[FOCI]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 6:15pm

This is so funny I have the exact opposite problem of you!! I have a strong natural vibratto and I have been working on how to get rid of it when singing more contemporary songs! sorry-good luck, just had to post on the irony of it all.

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 6:26pm

it's so weird, vibrato has never been a problem for me. i hate using it a lot though (aka when i have to sing opera....oooooh boy not so fun), and straight tones just seem to carry more emotion for me. does anyone else feel like that?

i mean, vibrato can add something sometimes, but i just love straight tones.

maggie

[BrdwayBaby]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 7:50pm

vibrato isnt necessarily the best thing in the world. the more you use it, the wider it gets, which gets obnoxious. plus, if you're singing in a choir or chorus it stands out and is hard to supress if you're trying to achieve it in the first place. it's something that comes natrually when your voice is getting closer to it's fully devoloped stage. if you cant produce a vibratto yet, don't worry about it. just keep doing whatever you're doing, and as your voice matures it should come along. but it's really not that big of a deal to have in the first place.

[Derech2]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 8:06pm

Sporti2005 -- I'm completely with you on that! Which partly why I'm grateful for my inabilitity to produce vibratto. I love straight tones. Vibratto is lovely, and to me it seems like a necessary part of singing; you can really communicate alot of emotion with vibratto, but I really don't like it when performers never give you a break from their vibratto, not that it sounds bad, it's just especially with a fast vibratto, it's not the most soothing thing and it seeems to me that performs are so engrossed in their vibratto that they don't realize how much they can accomplish *without* using it. But, just my personal preference of course. I'm sure some people enjoy non-stop vibratto.

[theatermom4]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 8:07pm

I've often wondered about excessive "jaw moving" when singing. An example (althought not "Broadway") is Charlotte Church. Why does her jaw move so much and others hardly at all. (When she sings, I can't help but be so distracted by it!)

[bernadette88]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 8:42pm

theatermom4- this is because Charlotte Church and others are not relaxing there jaw bones. When your jaw is tense it also tenses up your chords and causes your mouth to shake like that. This is NOT good at all. It can damage your vocal chords permanetly and VERY quickly. It is also because they feel that the more vibrato the better and so they basically push it out of them, and don't let it just come naturally...

I agree, it is very obnoxious. I can't stand it!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 1/30/05 at 8:44pm

If you can't produce Vibratto naturally, in my opinion, singing's not your thing. Sometimes no vibratto is a wonderful thing - on people like Christine Andreas sometimes I'm afraid she's going to have a stroke while she's singing.