If you have ever wondered why your vibrato appears on some notes and disappears on others, you are in good company. Many singers feel that their vibrato is either always there or never there, and that it is out of their hands.

The good news is that vibrato can be explored. Let's look at what it is, why it happens, and a few ways to work with it.

What vibrato is

Vibrato is a natural, rhythmic oscillation in pitch around the center of the note you are singing. It often falls somewhere between five and eight oscillations per second, and it is commonly around six. You don't need to count or measure it. What matters far more is whether it sounds and feels free and balanced, and if it does, it is most likely within that range already.

A healthy vibrato generally feels even and relatively effortless. It sounds like a natural part of the tone.

Why it happens

Vibrato is a naturally occurring rhythmic behavior of the vocal system. The TA muscles, which are the chest voice muscles, and the CT muscles, which are the head voice muscles, help regulate vocal fold length, thickness, tension, and pitch. They are involved in the pitch modulation we hear as vibrato. Breath pressure, vocal fold closure, and overall muscular coordination all influence whether vibrato can emerge freely.

Breath pressure, vocal fold closure, and overall muscular coordination all influence whether vibrato can emerge freely. That is why it often shows up when airflow and muscle coordination are in balance.

Something you do and something that happens

Vibrato is a little of both. The oscillation can emerge on its own, and singers can also learn to allow it, to inhibit it for a straight tone, or to shape how they use it stylistically.

We want the oscillation to happen on its own, and we can create a small pulse to get the system started. I like to think of this as pushing a wheel. Once it is spinning, we take our hands off and see whether it continues.

Straight tone is a valid choice

Straight tone is a legitimate stylistic choice. I rarely hear Taylor Swift use vibrato, for example, and I think she is a fantastic singer who simply doesn't use it as a texture in her music. The goal is to have vibrato available as an option, so that your style decides whether you use it.

When vibrato feels less free

Sometimes a vibrato sounds very wide and slow, which is often called a wobble. It can be connected to vocal fold closure or to a voice that is out of condition. Sometimes a vibrato is very fast and tight, with a quality close to a tremolo, and this often comes with tension. You might also see the jaw shaking or other muscles joining in to help.

Our goal is a voice that has the freedom to vibrate, and a perfect vibrato is not required for that. If you notice any of these patterns, a voice teacher can help you find what is contributing to them.

Five ways to invite vibrato

1. Staccato "ho ho ho." Sing short, bouncy notes on any pitch. Try them faster and slower.
2. The ghost sound. Slide up and down in a spooky voice, and keep the slides fairly slow.
3. Rev the engine. Hum in a strong chest voice, then let a little breathiness come in.
4. Fingers on the solar plexus. Place a fist or a few fingers on the area just below your sternum. Gently pulse while you sing a note, then take your hands away.
5. Palms together. Press your palms together and shake them gently as you sing. Then stop the shake and see whether the voice continues.

These are tools, and they won't all work for every singer. Your voice will tell you which ones help.

Using vibrato in a song

Vibrato can also be an expressive choice. One example is to hold a note straight and then release into vibrato. The straight note creates a little suspense, and the vibrato brings a feeling of release. This works well at the end of a phrase or a section.

If the release feels hard to find, try changing something small. You could adjust the vowel slightly toward a narrower shape, such as "oo". You could let in a touch more airflow, or you could drop the jaw a little. You could also give yourself an emotional reason to hold the note steady, as though you are making a point and then letting it go. Sing the whole phrase with words if you can, because the lyric and the feeling often help the vibrato come in more naturally.

On slides and bluesy lines, you may want to let the vibrato be a little looser, because a line that is too precise can sound stiff. You could imagine your voice as a slide guitar.

A useful tool for tension

Vibrato can also help with tension. When I am tired or stressed, I can get a little squeezy with my voice. If I do vibrato exercises in my chest voice, I often feel some release in the extra effort and I get a better flow of air. I even notice a difference in my speaking voice afterward.

Your takeaway

Start in a comfortable, lower part of your voice, in a nice speaking voice. Be curious and playful, and experiment the way a child would. Vibrato often arrives when you invite it.

If you would like help with this in your own voice, I would be glad to work on it with you inside our membership. Learn more here.