Snow White Vibrato!

So many interesting topics come up while I'm teaching that I decided to start sharing them in this blog. This way you can learn from issues and interesting discoveries that I encounter with other students.

I teach students who have a desire to learn classical vocal technique, but want to improve their singing in other genres as well. They also frequently have MORE experience in those other genres than in classical singing.

So this question of vibrato always comes up. "What is it? Should I use it? Why does this kind of vibrato sound good and this other kind sound unpleasant?"

A student was asking about vibrato in classical voice vs. vibrato in Indian pop music. We were discussing how different genres have different style preferences as far as vibrato. I also told her that historically even WITHIN genres our vibrato preferences have changed as well.

As an example of distinctive vibrato from early last century, I played a video of Snow White. (Did you know Snow White is from 1937! Can you believe it? Disney was founded in 1923. It is hard to believe they did all that animation without computers.)

The vibrato that the singer portraying Snow White used was VERY fast. Compare that to the singing we hear these days in Disney movies--Moana, for example. Snow White sounds shocking to our modern ears!

Isn't it fascinating that something that we take for granted as being an "absolute truth" (preferred tone quality and vibrato) can change so drastically in 100 years?

I'd love to hear your reactions to this clip! Let me know what you heard in the comments below! How would you describe the vibrato? Tone quality? How does it compare classical technique?

We have just scratched the surface of all there is to talk about with vibrato, so check back as we discuss lots more!

#vibrato #singing #voicelessons #disney #tonequality #classical