I’ve noticed that many vocalists, when singing a long note, will start with no vibrato whatsoever, then add vibrato near the end. Is there a name for this, and is there a reason for it? Is it simply a way of adding interest to an otherwise long, boring note? Is it something that just naturally happens, or is it something more consciously learned?
I’ve noticed the same thing with some brass instruments, but not others, especially strings. I don’t recall hearing, say, a violinist using this technique. Why is this?
As a vocalist, I can tell you that it’s difficult to maintain “straight” tone for an extended note. Slipping into vibrato is sort of cheating, so we don’t have to maintain the same intensity of breath control, turn blue, and faint. And on top of that, it makes the note sound a little warmer, too.
I thought Scott Savol did an outstanding job of that, especially with his final note. The tone was as pure as an oboe, and then he warmed it with just a touch of vibrato for just a moment. Made me cry.
Well, a lot of singers do use it on the entire note. I think it’s just a stylistic thing. Look at Stevie Nicks, she does it. There are many others who have that “Elmer Fudd sitting on a juicer” voice (don’t get me wrong; I love Stevie), but personally I prefer a strong note to be hit hard, and then fade into the vibrato. I think it just sounds better.
Also, I believe that when you use vibrato it’s a little harder to control your breath, so you probably wouldn’t be able to hold the note quite as long. This is just a guess, though.
Well, a lot of singers do use it on the entire note. I think it’s just a stylistic thing. Look at Stevie Nicks, she does it. There are many others who have that “Elmer Fudd sitting on a juicer” voice (don’t get me wrong; I love Stevie), but personally I prefer a strong note to be hit hard, and then fade into the vibrato. I think it just sounds better.
Also, I believe that when you use vibrato it’s a little harder to control your breath, so you probably wouldn’t be able to hold the note quite as long. This is just a guess, though.
It doesn’t sound as good. I don’t know anything about the theory here, but I think a pure note fading into vibrato is much more pleasing than straight-up vibrato.
It sounds sloppy. Vibrato, by definition, isn’t on pitch – it’s sort of warbling around it. You come in strong with straight tone, demonstrating that yes, you can hit the note.
Neither of these explanations seems adequate to me, when you consider that some instruments (particularly strings) do use consistent vibrato throughout notes.
Well, no one uses vibrato all the time, unless they only sing/play Romantic music from the 18th-19th centuries. A string player who’s doing Bach wouldn’t use vibrato, nor would one who’s playing an Irish slip-jig. Vocalists are more prone to slipping into vibrato at the end of a note because, as I stated in post #2, it’s extremely difficult to maintain the intensity required for a straight tone for as long as an instrumentalist. If you’re singing Purcell, you really “shouldn’t” use vibrato, as it’s inappropriate for the genre, but it’s acceptable to “cheat” and slip into it at the end of a lengthy note.
