# Technical term for Judy Garland's voice mannerisms **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545 "2012-09-03T14:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/1 "2012-09-03T14:58:37Z")
That – thing – she does. Is that vibrato? Or what? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/2 "2012-09-03T15:07:06Z")
Yeah, that’s vibrato, but very badly done. With Judy in her later years, it’s more of a caricature of vibrato. When it’s done well, it shouldn’t call much attention itself. I’m sure some singers will check in. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/3 "2012-09-03T17:24:52Z")
Singers seem to overdo the vibrato at times, or just can’t control it. I remember reading Roy Orbison’s comment about the problem with getting older is that he had a hard time damping out the vibrato. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/4 "2012-09-03T17:35:01Z")
I thought it was termed “drinking your liver out.” ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/5 "2012-09-03T17:43:10Z")
I always thought it was her trying to cover the fact she couldn’t find the note immediately, and used this technique to reach a note she didn’t hit. Eventually it became “her thing” and nobody seemed to mind. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/6 "2012-09-03T17:52:33Z")
I sense an underlying antagonism toward judy in these replies. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/7 "2012-09-03T18:00:31Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > I sense an underlying antagonism toward judy in these replies. I must agree, I sense no friends of Judy’s here. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/8 "2012-09-03T18:03:57Z")
Her daughter Liza has the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/9 "2012-09-03T18:06:47Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > I sense an underlying antagonism toward judy in these replies. No - I was/am a big fan, but also know that in her later years, it got a tad more difficult to reach some of those higher notes and this was simply her way of getting to where she needed to get, without being all that obvious about it. As I mentioned, it was “her thing” and her fans appreciated the fact that she did indeed finally hit that note she was reaching for, even if it did perhaps take a bit longer to get there than in her earlier years. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/10 "2012-09-03T18:16:33Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I thought it was termed “drinking your liver out.” damn you! I saw the title and immediately thought “being rat-arsed” but no…you simply _had_ to be first didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/11 "2012-09-03T18:17:19Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Her daughter Liza has the same problem. Vibrato, or no friends? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/12 "2012-09-03T18:34:36Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I must agree, I sense no friends of Judy’s here. Nice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/13 "2012-09-03T19:43:31Z")
I loved Judy Garland, but it’s always painful and embarrassing to watch a performer you used to love who is way past his/her prime and is the last one in the room to know it. (BTW, anyone catch Clint Eastwood the other night? I rest my case.) Judy was a very talented, charismatic performer who was chewed up and spit out by the movie making industry of her time. I wish some singers would come along and address the vibrato question. Some people (like Sarah Brightman) really overdo it, and it’s a stylistic thing not found in every genre and era of music. What I wonder is if it’s a natural occurrence or if the singer has to learn it and introduce it? When done right and with subtlety, it adds depth and richness to the voice. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/14 "2012-09-03T20:07:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I wish some singers would come along and address the vibrato question. Some people (like Sarah Brightman) really overdo it, and it’s a stylistic thing not found in every genre and era of music. What I wonder is if it’s a natural occurrence or if the singer has to learn it and introduce it? When done right and with subtlety, it adds depth and richness to the voice. IMHO. I took a few years of voice lessons and didn’t have vibrato for a long time. It didn’t really matter when I was focusing on early English art songs because vibrato was not used for that style. I developed it as I improved my overall technique and learned to relax more, but I still don’t have a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/15 "2012-09-03T20:26:13Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Nice. 🙂 Well, I have a sort of ‘radar’ for these things. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/16 "2012-09-03T20:39:06Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I thought it was termed “drinking your liver out.” and gays really liked her. a double wammy of shame. ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/17 "2012-09-03T20:46:24Z")
If you want to hear a crazy Judy-esque vibrato, watch **An American in Paris** and listen to Georges Guétary. It sounds like he’s singing while gargling. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-term-for-judy-garlands-voice-mannerisms/633545/18 "2012-09-03T20:49:41Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What I wonder is if it’s a natural occurrence or if the singer has to learn it and introduce it? When done right and with subtlety, it adds depth and richness to the voice. IMHO. It’s a natural occurrence of certain techniques. Those techniques generally take some time to develop, but it’s not really deliberate when it occurs (although it can be controlled to some degree).