By Dave Babbitt – Special to the Sydenham Current
Regardless of my column topic, it is never my intent to offend—but this week, I may be on a bit of “shaky” ground as I pontificate my thoughts on a sometimes-controversial topic. (Pun intended.)
I also attempt to keep my writing accessible for “non-musical” or lay readers and not get too deep into music theory. In this week’s column, however, I’d like to address an advanced technique often employed by both vocalists and instrumentalists alike—and that is vibrato.
Vibrato is a rapid variation of pitch (i.e. frequency) on either side of the note that is actually intended to be sung or played. In other words, the pitch of a note will rapidly oscillate between north (or sharp) of the intended pitch and then south (or flat) of the intended note in rapid sequence. Its purpose is to add expression, warmth, and richness to a musical sound.
I do not have a problem with properly executed and employed vibrato—but I sometimes disagree with its use, abuse, and often misuse.
In the orchestral world, observers will see string musicians rocking their fingers back and forth rapidly on the strings of the neck of the instrument, displaying a very pronounced vibrato. There is another reason string players do this, other than for expression, but I do not wish to discuss that this week.
Interestingly, brass players in classical orchestras rarely employ vibrato in their playing. Trained voices, on the other hand, spend copious quantities of time perfecting their vibrato technique.
When it comes to vibrato, most will immediately think of operatic singing—which, when paired with the immense power that trained voices usually develop, unfortunately often turns the musically ignorant off.
My first exposure and attention to vibrato came not from vocalists, however, but rather instrumentally—as a young trumpet player.
I had the golden opportunity to sit in a senior music class beside one of my trumpet mentors, the late Gary Ewing. I not only admired his beautiful tone, but how, at the end of some long phrases, I noticed that some notes seemed to “wobble” a bit—and it sounded so good.
I had no idea that this was called vibrato at the time, but I knew that it made him sound very professional, and I too wanted to sound like that.
I won’t go into the “how’s” of the technique on a trumpet, as there are a couple of very different ways of achieving vibrato, but I did work on it at great length for several years.
Fast forward to just before my first years of teaching at WDSS, when I formed the Brass Factory big band.
Jay Burr was one of our trombone players—a music prodigy with an ear like none I had encountered previously, nor since.
One day at rehearsal, he had the gall to tell me that my vibrato was too heavy and that I used it too much.
I was truly offended by this much younger high school kid, but his criticism caused me to pause and listen to myself—just in case he was right.
I started listening carefully to recordings of our band and realized that he was correct.
I had developed a very pronounced, heavy vibrato that permeated every note that I played. Yes, I had developed the technique—but I wasn’t using it as wisely, or judiciously, as Gary had demonstrated to me.
It became a burden to each note.
I started listening to recordings of some of the trumpet greats and how they employed vibrato in their playing. It was difficult at that point to “unlearn” something I had spent so much time developing, but I began trying to employ vibrato more judiciously, instead of on every note.
Frank Sinatra famously gave credit for his sound and phrasing to the great trombone player, Tommy Dorsey.
To this day, in listening to both vocal and instrumental greats, I take notice of how they employ vibrato.
Just today, I was listening to an album by the late Natalie Cole, recorded in homage to her late father, Nat “King” Cole. The entire album is a tour de force of great arranging—moving instrumentals from the lush strings to the hit-you-over-the-head big band accompaniments—but most impressively, Natalie’s incredible vocal techniques, including her perfect employment of vibrato.
Just like other greats such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Andy Williams, and Paul Anka, Natalie’s placement of vibrato—often at the end of a long, sustained note—is vocal perfection at its zenith.
I love well-developed and employed vibrato, but there are limits to my love.
In my opinion, vibrato is too often misplaced by amateurs. Like myself in earlier days, some musicians (both vocal and instrumental) employ vibrato on every note, in every song they play or sing. It becomes overused.
I feel that trained vocalists often sacrifice diction and clarity of the lyrics of a song when the vibrato becomes too heavy. Sometimes the frequency variation becomes too “wide” as the pitch oscillates. Some musicians apply vibrato in songs that simply don’t call for it.
Try to imagine the Beach Boys applying vibrato to “Good Vibrations.” Surely one can’t picture that.
But that doesn’t mean vibrato should never be used in pop music. Listen to “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Freddie Mercury’s judicious use of vibrato—perfection.
But what really bothers me is when amateurs think they are utilizing vibrato, when in reality, they are applying tremolo.
Tremolo is a rapid variation in the amplitude of a sound wave—or in layman’s terms, volume. In other words, it’s not the pitch that varies, but rather the volume of a note.
In our band, we have a large instrument called a vibraphone. It looks like a large xylophone, but beneath each metal bar is a tube that the sound resonates in. Inside each tube is a round paddle that spins on a rod, which can vary in speed.
When striking a metal bar above each tube, the note resonates in the tube, and with the paddles spinning, it varies the volume—giving off a different kind of “wobble” than vibrato does. The pitch does not vary—only the volume does.
Vibrato is a variation in frequency of a sound wave, while tremolo is a variation in amplitude.
Yes, well-executed and well-placed vibrato can elevate a performance to another level—but the performer needs to first develop the technique, then apply it correctly and judiciously.
Then, I’ll be impressed!
