Pop Singing Lessons
When we talk about vibrato (one of the most valuable tools a good singer possesses) we address one of the most sensitive subjects when it comes to popular vocalising. Sure, technically we can explain vibrato. Vibrato is a continuous pitch shift at a certain tempo and between a certain range. If only it would be that easy.
Vibrato is at once one of the greatest assets and one of the greatest mysteries of the singing voice. I have never encountered any singing teacher (or indeed method) able to adequately explain what it is, or how you can teach a singer to access or control it, although many singers can naturally do these things without any difficulty. I have seen laryngoscopic films of the voice while producing vibrato, and the only visible evidence of it is that there is a detectable movement or “shake” of the whole of the laryngeal structure. If you have vibrato, you should be able to feel this movement simply by wrapping your hand very lightly around the front of your throat and observing the mild “shaking” of the larynx during its production.
Some singers say that they sense their vibrato coming from the area of their throats; some say they feel it in their chest; and others swear that the sensation comes from their stomach. Some can control the speed and/or the width of their vibrato, and this control allows a far greater stylistic flexibility. Many singers notice their vibrato growing more pronounced as they grow older, and some, particularly singers aged over 60, can feel a tendency in the vibrato to “wobble” very widely producing an unpleasant sound that nearly falls out of the range of pitch.
Some people have no control whatsoever over their vibrato. If the vibrato is relatively even in terms of speed and width, this isn’t a great problem. If it’s very fast, it can lead to some great frustration for the singer, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of producing some interesting pop sounds (think of Randy Crawford). I have worked fairly successfully with singers in getting the speed of the vibrato to slow and often that work has included a focus on anchoring the head and neck muscles to restrain the “shake” of the vibrato a bit, although I’ve also seen that same anchoring work make the vibrato more pronounced. Like pitch, vibrato difficulties often grow stronger under the light of scrutiny and sometimes it’s best simply to keep working towards relaxation in order to enable the vocalist to get in touch with whatever muscles are involved in the production of the vibrato. For many singers, vibrato is a strong muscular memory of their vocal production being teamed with a particular speed or width of vibrato.
Along with the problem of too much vibrato, there are many singers who are equally frustrated at the complete lack of it in their voices. Some voice teachers believe that this lack of vibrato is common in young voices, and that with enough practice the singer can slowly learn to add vibrato to the sound. I have worked with students who said they had no vibrato or could not imagine how to access it, and who then surprised both themselves and me by suddenly hearing a bit of vibrato while they were singing. This may be because for many singers, vibrato only occurs when they are fairly relaxed and confident in production. It takes a while to feel this way when you’re singing in front of someone, so perhaps when a singer does manage that, the vibrato occurs naturally.
Often, when we’re concerned about accuracy in pitching or about making a beautiful tone, we create so much tension that we simply stiffen all our vocal “works” to the extent that the gentle laryngeal shake I described earlier can’t take place. Certainly if you can sometimes suppress vibrato by adding a bit of muscle anchoring, the reverse should be true. In any case, I would say that it’s best to “discover” vibrato by not concentrating on it too much. You may just bring on enough tension through that concentration to suppress it! What the singer must remember is that while a lack of vibrato may be frustrating in some styles, in popular music there are a great many very successful singers who rarely ever use it.
All of the above leads me to the conclusion that there is still much research to be done on vibrato. In most vibrato, there is a variation of the pulse that determines how we hear the “pitching” element. In other words, vibrato that sounds “right” to our ears tends to be within the range of 5-8 pulsations per second. Pulsations slower than 5 per second are those which we tend to hear as straying away from the pitch. Those faster than 8 per second are generally described as a tremolo and can sound strange, but do not tend to threaten the pitch. The best a singer can do in practising these quick pitch oscillations is learn to produce a good vocal “trill”, but the sensation of moving quickly between two semi-tones simply isn’t the same as the sensation most feel when producing a “natural” vibrato sound, and doesn’t have the same pulsation. But some voice teachers feel that learning to create this ” artificial” vibrato will encourage the creation, ultimately of a “natural” one.
However vibrato is explained to students, vibrato-work as such should definitely be included in any pop singing curriculum.
Creativity and Music Production
My son wants a career in music, but the odds of him winning the next American Idol are slim to none. He does have an ear for music and the intricacies involved in production. I recommended that he check into a music production college to learn how to hone his skills. Attendance in a college such as this will also give him direction as to the various jobs that are available in the music field.
You no longer have to head off to New York or Los Angeles to pursue an education in the arts. Where local colleges used to offer limited to course opportunities in music production, more and more are jumping on the music production bandwagon. With a society highly steeped in technology, music production is involved in more areas than you would suspect.
My son currently uses home-based technology to produce beats for musicians. His creative needs as an artist are satisfied with this work, but it doesn’t offer an income to sustain a roof over his head long-term. My attending a music production school, he can obtain the skills necessary to land a job that will provide groceries while he uses the knowledge received to enhance his creative efforts.
The chances of obtaining a job in the music field will increase with education, but is it absolutely necessary to seek a degree if you wish to work in the field? There is no simple answer to that question. There are well-known authors that have succeeded without obtaining a degree in writing. Talent is naturally required, but an education can help refine that talent.
What exactly will you get when you attend a music production school? Hands-on training with equipment is offered in many of the programs. You will also learn about the latest technologies utilized by those in the field. Some programs also offer internship opportunities. All of this combined should increase the odds of securing a job upon graduation.
The costs required to obtain an education in this field will vary. There are financial aid opportunities available as long as you attend a school that is accredited. You can also research scholarship opportunities that may be offered for those entering this type of program.
I currently have my son investigating the various opportunities available in our area. We have discovered that he can take introductory courses at our local community college. With considerably lower tuition rates, this is a good start for anyone wishing to pursue this field. You will, however, want to ensure that these courses will transfer to any other college or university that you plan to later transfer.
I don’t plan to squash the artistic efforts of my children, but it is necessary to have a frank discussion about plans to make a living with their talents and passions. To obtain the skills needed to draw upon creativity, a music production college is one option. The practical skills and knowledge can then be translated to the job market.