The use of vibrato as a diagnostic tool in the pedagogy of singing in the Western classical tradition

Abstract

Vocal vibrato is a feature of singing highly associated with the Western Classical tradition. The researcher assumes the position that vibrato is a discernible acoustic outcome of singing habits and is therefore a useful diagnostic tool that can support the process of identifying the aspects of singing that require attention and determining a set of pedagogical interventions. Research on the topic of vocal vibrato is multi-disciplinary in nature with much of it being pursued outside of the domain of singing pedagogy. Information is therefore often difficult to decipher given the use of methodologies and terminology not immediately associated with the discipline of music education. This represents a barrier that makes it difficult for singing teachers to assimilate the extant knowledge of vocal vibrato so that it may inform teaching strategies. As such, an integrative literature review of peer-reviewed research across multiple disciplines between 2014 and 2022 was conducted in order to take stock of the extant knowledge of vocal vibrato and to present it in a way that is user-friendly for singing teachers. Two major trends in the literature relate to the two most significant parameters of vibrato, namely vibrato rate (VR) and vibrato extent (VE). The research demonstrates that VR plays a significant role in the perception of tone colour, is subject to neurological arousal and can potentially be regulated by the use of imagery-related exercises and the selection of performance pieces with varying degrees of emotional content. VE exhibits high degrees of variability, is utilised as a device with which to vary tonal qualities in the differentiation between genres such as Western classical art songs and opera and vocal modes such as solo and group singing. It is highly susceptible to neurological mechanisms associated with auditory-motor control. The ability to utilise VE explicitly may be inculcated through exercises that promote sensory acuity and greater agility in the coordination between the respiratory and phonatory muscles.