How do you sing with vibrato? Find out how to develop your technique in this guest post by Hayward, CA teacher Molly R...
One of the main things beginning singers tend to worry about is lack of vibrato. “How do I make it happen?” they ask… sometimes at the first lesson.
I usually make it very clear right away that you cannot force vibrato! If you do, you can easily damage your voice or create a very ugly “wobble.” Vibrato is something you have to LET happen. Here are some tips on how to sing with vibrato:
1) Just like with your finances, you must first check your balance! Are you standing or sitting up straight? Head and shoulders level? Weight in the balls of your feet? Good — you’re ready! Make this a habit every time you sing. Step #2 can’t happen without having the body ready first!
2) Pay attention to your breath! Are you keeping your breathing tension-free? Think of your breath as circular. Vibrato will not develop if you hold onto your breath for any reason as you’ll be trapping your sound!
3) Don’t forget support! We breathe low in proper singing, but we must also SUPPORT from below! A helpful exercise to practice is to sing (anything!) while resisting against a wall or a flat surface. This engages the lat muscles and deters you from taking a shallow breath. All of this is strength building with your core muscles, which will also help you learn how to sing with vibrato.
4) Practice really does make perfect. But patience is also key. Don’t expect to learn how to sing with vibrato overnight. Your body must get used to these new habits — it’s all a part of muscle memory.
The muscles you use in singing are no different than any other muscles you train. Make time for consistent, proper practice and you will eventually develop vibrato in your voice! Do not overdo it, as enthusiastic as you may be about singing. Listen to your body!
Lastly, study with a good voice teacher! If you feel you are trying all of these things and nothing seems like it’s working just yet, you probably hold some sort of tension you’re unaware of. Another set of eyes and ears is the ticket to pinpointing the issue and helping you free your natural voice!
Molly R. teaches online and in-person singing lessons in Hayward, CA. Her specialties include teaching beginner vocalists, shy singers, children, teens, lapsed singers, and older beginners. She joined TakeLessons in November 2013. Learn more about Molly here!
Photo by Alexandruworld
Suzy S.