# Vocal Question---Vibrato **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687 "2015-03-22T15:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pianodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/1 "2015-03-22T15:32:54Z")
Hi Straight Dope, I’m a pianist, so I work with a lot of vocalists. Can someone tell me about straight tone versus vibrato? I’m wondering how good vocalists can control the amount of time they spend on a straight tone before their voice switches to vibrato? I just watched this clip, starting at 1:20. (It’s about two minutes). This leads me to believe that vocalists always consciously control when they switch. Is this true? Also, why do we tend to equate vibrato with higher quality singing? Isn’t a vibrato just alternating between half steps? Or microtones? So my wild-ass speculation is that we as listeners enjoy vibrato because of the constant and rapid resolution of microtones below to the pure intended note…am I on the right track? Regarding this clip, I was amazed that he could control this aspect of his voice so easily. I wonder if everyone is naturally capable of this control, or is it learned with years of training? Thanks, Dave ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/2 "2015-03-23T11:35:37Z")
I think vibrato is (sometimes) desirable because it adds richness to the sound. It is like a chorus effect but you are doing it organically with one voice. I don’t think it is because of multiple resolutions of the tone. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/3 "2015-03-23T12:07:19Z")
**Moderator Action** Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society, our home for all sorts of musical questions. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/4 "2015-03-23T12:10:11Z")
I thought it was also something to do with maintaining volume without losing qualityof sound over extended lines…? ---
**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:** [March 23, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/5 "2015-03-23T12:44:53Z")
[Same question 2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301252&highlight=vibrato) [Another earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=560206&highlight=vibrato) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/6 "2015-03-23T14:10:08Z")
So much of it really just depends on the singer. I have a very strong natural vibrato, which is adored by directors and I loathe it. I want to sing like Janis, and I sound like Snow White - almost, but not quite, a tremolo instead of a vibrato. Other people struggle to produce vibrato, and need a lot of training to figure out how to to it. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/7 "2015-03-23T14:40:34Z")
I remember reading in a Roy Orbison biography that he was concerned about growing older because it was becoming more difficult to keep vibrato out of his voice. Is this a problem? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vocal-question-vibrato/715687/8 "2015-03-23T16:11:10Z")
I’ve been singing in a men’s chorus for almost 20 years . . . and it was only a couple of years ago that I finally produced a vibrato . . . while rehearsing a Patsy Cline medley in the shower. But it’s a very fast vibrato; unchecked it has a sort of Woody-Woodpeckerish quality. How can I slow it down?