Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
“What on earth exactly is vibrato?” It’s a pulsating sound that musicians use to make their music more engaging. Views on vibrato have varied through the centuries. However, currently it’s felt that it adds warmth to the notes, and by extension, it adds more emotion to your playing. Keep reading to learn what it is and how it works.
This article uses musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
What on Earth Exactly Is Vibrato: What Is It?
Vibrato is, well, a note that sounds like it’s vibrating. It swings above and below the melody note at a rate of about five to seven times per second.
Why is it an essential skill for Western musicians?
- Musicians add it to notes to warm them up, while also varying the frequency associated with each note, making the sound more interesting.
- It makes the music more expressive, giving your song a human quality that electronic keyboards have a difficult time recreating.
- However, some styles of music try to keep vibrato to a minimum, so learning to control it can help you achieve authentic performances.
What on Earth Exactly Is Vibrato: How Is it Performed?
Exactly how it’s produced varies from instrument to instrument.
- For the voice, it tends to emerge naturally in singing lessons. It comes from the vibration of your vocal cords. Singers learn to control their voices as they learn to control both their larynx muscles and the air stream from the diaphragm as they sing.
- For violin and guitar, you’d splay out fingers 2, 3, and 4 on the left hand and use the mass of the spread-out fingers to rock back and forth on the first finger like a fulcrum. You can also execute it with the other fingers in a similar manner.
- Plus, rock guitar often bends the string to create a rock version.
- For brass players, they make controlled movements of their lips and jaw. In addition, trumpet players will often shake the instrument to facilitate vibrato production.
- Woodwind players will likewise make controlled movements of their lips and jaw but also need to exercise breath control. This is especially important for the flute, where it’s all about breath control.
Video: Voice
Video: Violin
Video: Rock Guitar
Video: Trumpet
Video: Sax
Video: Flute
What on Earth Exactly Is Vibrato: When Do You Use It?
In current practice, it’s most often applied to long held notes at phrase endings.
- However, even as recently as the mid-20th century, heavy vibrato was used pervasively.
- These days, instrumentalists will usually add it at the beginning of the note at phrase endings. Conversely, singers usually establish the pitch before warming it up with vibrato, especially when singing harmonies.
- Why? Because vibrato covers over the beating between notes, taking away a major tuning cue. For this reason, in pop music the lead vocals will usually employ it, but the backing vocals often won’t. (See the Bohemian Rhapsody video below.)
For more information on how vibrato effects tuning for your voice
Video: Bohemian Rhapsody
Final Thoughts
Takeaway points:
- Musicians add vibrato to notes to warm them up, while also varying the frequency associated with each note, making the sound more interesting.
- Exactly how it’s produced varies from instrument to instrument.
- Instrumentalists will usually add it at the beginning of the note at phrase endings, whereas singers will usually establish the pitch before warming it up with vibrato, especially if there are any vocal harmonies.
Have fun playing!
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- Understanding Basic Diction in Modern Singing
- How to Record Vocals for a Professional Sound
- What’s the Key Difference Between Trills and Tremolo
- D’you Want Some Music Tips and Tricks I’ve Learned Over the Years?
© 2025 Geoffrey Keith
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