Vocal Approach to Vibrato

[BobMiller]

I have been thinking about this question for some time now, and haven't received a response I can swallow. We make all of these comparisons to playing either the tuba or euph to a vocalist when it comes to air, phrasing, etc. (Song & Wind...).

When it comes to vibrato though, the most common technique taught is the jaw vibrato ("ya-ya-ya-ya-ya"). If you look in other instrument pedagogy, they consistently teach air vibrato (flutes and vocalists are the first that come to mind).

Can anyone explain to me, why we stray off-course when it comes to this teaching matter?

- BJ Miller

[MrHidan30]

I'm under the impression that a diapraghm vibrato (air vibrato) when used on low brass instruments will adversely effect our tone. It makes sense considering the large amounts of air we use. We can't afford them to become strained. Though with a jaw vibrato we can still imitate a vocal vibrato extremely effectively with the correct practice.
-I hope I helped.

[J.Harris]

I used to play with an air vibrato (when Euph was my main instrument), which was fairly inconsistent, too fast and hard to control. I was told that I sounded "French" stylistically. My instructor at the time(I was an undergrad in college) wisely switched me over to the more common and more easily managed jaw vibrato.

As far as flute players, they have no choice but to use some method of air vibrato as they have no "embouchure" to speak of. I don't think I would characterize vocal vibrato as an "air" vibrato either, although I admit to being no authority on vocal technique.

[Mojo workin']

While a student at Northwestern U, Rex taught me an embouchure-induced vibrato, with the sound and pitch being the guiding force in its accomplishment. I was taught (with use of a metronome) to slowly (and progressively faster and faster) vary the pitch of a given note, articulating with a "toh-woh-woh-woh etc." syllable. This is an excellent approach that yields much control I have found.

A fast, narrow vibrato has always sounded a bit strange to me, especially on a brass instrument. IMHO.

[gregsundt]

A vocal vibrato is an oscillation in pitch. To emulate it, the instrumental vibrato, if possible, should do the same. A flutist, and a few other instrumentalists, have the dual disadvantage of a vibrato initiated by the diaphragm (a difficult maneuver for such a large muscle), that results in an oscillation in volume/tone, not pitch.

A brass player has the option of using a diaphragmatic vibrato, with the disadvantages already described by others, or a jaw vibrato, which results in a more "vocal" oscillation in pitch (and tone). Trumpet players typically favor a hand vibrato, since it is more subtle and well-controlled on a tiny aperture. Trombones can cheat: they have slides. Still, many rely on the jaw vibrato as well.

To your original point: I have never known a vocal teacher to advocate a diaphragmatic vibrato. The best vocal vibrato is a very natural oscillation in the vocal cords, unaffected by variations in the air supply.

[windshieldbug]

To me, the most applicable vibrato to emulate is a cello or bass vibrato. Those are produced by finger movement which controls both pitch, total frequency change and cycle (timing). The technique which most completely simulates equal control on a brass instrument is jaw vibrato. An added benefit is that if you can modify that range of pitch by embouchure, it is easier to compensate for the inherit intonation problems of a horn by both overtone series and bore profile.

Slide pulling should be for tone, not pitch.

[Frank Ortega]

I studied voice throughout high school and college as well as tuba. I had a wonderful teacher, Marian Thompson, of the Mannes School of Music. At first, I learned my approach to vibrato from my 7th grade band director, who talked about lip, jaw and breath vibrato. It was a natural singers vibrato that I fell into, and none of my teachers ever had a problem with it, brass or vocal. I studied with Don Butterfield, Toby Hanks, Scott Mendoker, and Floyd Cooley. Some of them warned that sometimes a "singers" vibrato is harder to control to play stright tones, ala Bruchner, Bur I never had this problem, so they all left it alone. Some people say that the "diaphragm" vibrato is actually activated in the throat, but I have never thought about what I do physically, just play as I sing. And that is what I think Mr. Jacobs was getting at. Sing with a beautiful sound and you will play with a beautiful sound.