MMus year 1 elective: Psychology in Practice Comparing how different vocal vibrato effects listeners preferences of music

By Steven ast

!bstract:
"he following study is an investigation into peoples perception and valuation of different e#amples of vocal vibrato$ using an online survey with recorded clips for participants to listen to and compare% &our main types are used: the fast form often heard from the 1'()s to the 1*+)s$ the grand operatic style popular in todays opera$ the lighter form used in ,istorically -nformed Performances and finally an e#ample of vibrato used in popular music% "he survey attempts to discover whether people can discern between them$ which they prefer and what they understand about vibrato% !n attempt is made to see if those with musical educations give different answers to those who havent received training in music%

-ntroduction
"he Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines vibrato as a$ rapid$ slight variation in pitch$ which seems a useful starting point% But vibrato has remained a controversial and often misunderstood and misconstrued term% "hroughout history it has meant different things to different people% .obble$ Bebung$ bleat$ sha/e$ vibrate$ tremble and tremolo are 0ust some of the terms that have been used to describe vibrato% -t is beyond the scope of this essay to delve very deeply into the linguistics$ history and evolution of vibrato%1 But there are a few points -d li/e to ma/e% Clive Brown has written e#tensively on the sub0ect and is firmly in the camp of the pure1tone enthusiast$ the conductor 2oger 3orrington 4who wrote the forward to Browns Classical & Romantic Performing Practice 175 !1" #% Both men have stated that vibrato only became common practice in the late11*th century%5 -n the chapter on vibrato$ Brown states that$ 6uring the period from 178) to about 1*)) the various types of vibrato then in use were regarded almost e#clusively as ornamental%%% "he modern concept of continuous vibrato as a fundamental element of tone production began to evolve$ under &ranco1 Belgian influence$ only towards the end of the nineteenth century9 but it was not until the early decades of the twentieth century that this new aesthetic began to be firmly established and widely accepted%+ - ta/e issue with this claim% !s one e#ample$ $he Record of %inging$ a vast
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&or a detailed discussion of the changing use and meaning of vibrato$ see Clive Brown$ Classical & Romantic Performing Practice 175 !1" $ 4:#ford ;niversity Press$ 1***<$ Chapter 1= and also >ames Star/$ Bel Canto& ' (istory of )ocal Pedagogy$ 4;niversity of "oronto Press$ 1***<$ Chapter 8
5 +

&or an e#ample of 3orringtons claims on this sub0ect$ see $ime to Rid Orchestras of the %ha*es9 2oger$ 3orrington$ $he +e, -or* $imes$ 1( &eb 5))+ Page: 5%+5 Section: 5 Clive Brown$ Classical & Romantic Performing Practice 175 !1" $ 4:#ford ;niversity Press$ 1***<$ page 851

collection of early singers$ recently reissued in a collected C6 bo# set.$ has a few C6s from the 1*))s and 1*1)s containing only continuous vibrato$ and a very noticeable and fast vibrato it is$ too$ as the e#amples used in this survey show% "his brings me on to a final area - would li/e to briefly discuss% "his is the issue of commentators at the time calling the vibrato used by some singers between about 1'7) and 1*+) tremolo% - raise this point because at least one of the singers from the early 5)th century used in this survey$ &ernando de ?ucia$ was criticised as employing tremolo at the time% $he /usical $imes of 1 >une 1'*5$ said of him$ ,e is an accomplished and spirited actor$ and when he forgets his tremolo an e#cellent singer8 @eorge Bernard Shaw$ a critic for $he /usical $imes before his career as a playwright$ indicated that singers were using vocal tremolo a year before$ in 1'*1$ "remolo and vibrato and not synonymous terms% :ne is a defect of the gravest /ind: the other is one of the most precious graces a dramatic singer can% "here is no difficulty in acAuiring the tremolo% 3o doubt these facts are well /now: still$ on loo/ing over the papers lately - thought - should mention them%( !nd Sir ,enry .ood made mention of singers using tremolo as late as 1*57$ "here has been a good deal written and said lately about the vocal tremolo which is out of place$ but it is no new fault% B -f it is not ta/en in hand at the very first singing lesson$ it grows rapidly into a habit$ and becomes so firmly established that it is most difficult to eradicate and is always liable to crop up from time to time%7 "hese three esteemed sources are confident that tremolo is being used% But am not convinced myself that de ?ucia and others were employing it% &rom what have heard$ - would say it was fast vibrato% !nd - /now of no research that has been conducted using software to determine scientifically whether it is pitch or volume oscillation being produced% ,owever$ the participants in my survey were only as/ed about the singers vibrato and tremolo was deliberately not mentioned% So$ whatever the truth$ - hope that as little confusion as possible arose for the participants% "here has been research into the psychological relationship between vibrato and perception by ,owes'% :ne point ,owes mentions refers bac/ to a comment Seashore made in the 1*+)s% "his was that$ unless the vibrato is inappropriate or obtrusive$ the listener does not ma/e fine distinctions about it%* "his is an important point to bear in mind with regard to the psychology of
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$he Record of %inging0 $he )ery Best of )olumes 1!. 4 M- Classics$ 5))*< catalogue no% 55'*8(5 CunsignedD 2oyal -talian :pera$ The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular$ Eol% ++$ 3o% 8*5 4>un% 1$ 1'*5<$ pp% +=51+=+ @eorge Bernard Shaw$ /usic in 1ondon 12" !12".3 Eol% 1 4?ondon: Constable F Company% 1*8)< p571

,enry .ood$ "he gentle !rt of Singing 4:#ford ;niversity Press$ 1*57<$ cited in Clive Brown$ Classical & Romantic Performing Practice 175 !1" $ 4:#ford ;niversity Press$ 1***<$ page 855 Patricia ,owes$ $he Relationshi4 Bet,een /easured )ibrato Characteristics and Perce4tion in 5estern O4eratic %inging $ in 6ournal of )oice 1'15 4>une 5))=<% Page 558% Carl Seashore$ Psychology of /usic3 Cited in ibid%

vibrato perception% -ts when its obtrusive that people notice it% -f its light$ people will find it hard to analyse it% "his is why - chose the fast vibrato of the turn of the 1*th century% -t is very noticeable to the modern ear$ as is borne out by these results% -ts also why - wanted to as/ participants whether they found each vibrato obstusive% &ollowing Seashores and ,owess line$ if it wasnt obtrusive$ listeners would probably struggle to ma/e fine distinctions about it% !nother factor is whether people believe vibrato is natural when humans sing% - as/ed this specifically in the survey% -t stands to reason that if they do$ they are more li/ely to tolerate it in the singing they hear in the survey% ?oo/ing at the literature$ there is much criticism of obtrusive vibrato as being in some way unpleasant from many music professions throught he centuries% But it may be good to Auote a figure few would criticise% .olfgang !madaeus MoGart made his views clear in a letter to his father on 1+ >une 177'$ when discussing the bass$ >oseph 3i/olaus Meissner$ Meissner$ as you /now$ has the bad habit of ma/ing his voice tremble at times$ turning a note that should be sustained into distinct Auarter notes or even eighth notes H and this - never could endure in him% !nd really it is a detestable habit and Auite contrary to nature% "he human voice trembles naturally H but in its own way H and only to such a degree that the effect is beautiful% But the moment the proper limit is overstepped$ it is no longer beautiful 1because it is contrary to nature% -t reminds me of 0olting the organ bellows% -t seems clear Meissner was using tremolo if MoGart heard distinct notes% -ts also clear MoGart didnt li/e itI But what about todays societyJ "his is what - was aiming to understand with the survey% People may or may not thin/ vibrato is natural or normal$ but the /ey is$ how much do todays society thin/ is too muchJ ,ave peoples views of vibrato changed since the time of MoGartJ -s the basic rule that$ unless the vibrato is inappropriate or obtrusive$ the listener does not ma/e fine distinctions about it%J

Method
"he survey was created online at www%polldaddy%com% "he website allowed the administrator$ myself$ to create filters$ so that one could$ for e#ample$ determine how many of those who answered yes to one Auestion$ answered disagree to another% -t also allowed MP+s to be uploaded to the site$ so that participants could play them and then answer Auestions about them% ach of the comparative clips had two cadenGas from operatic arias% "he clips for + and = and 8 and ( were chosen to contrast turn1of1the1century fast vibrato singers with modern operatic singers% "he clip for 7 and ' contrasted a modern operatic vibrato with a light vibrato from the ,istorically -nformed Performance school of singing% "he clip in 1) was a pop singer switching vibrato on and off$ to assess what listeners thought of this s/ill and whether they thought it was different to operatic vibrato% Kuestion 1 gave a definition of vibrato$ along with a clip of me singing without vibrato and then adding it in the same note% "his Auestion was added after the Auestions had been written$ following some informal discussions with some of my non1musical friends% - realised that many people who have not had a musical education did not /now what vibrato is% :ne thought it meant deep and another

loud$ so - decided a definition and an aural e#ample would help avoid confusion% Kuestion 5 as/ed participants to state their level of musical e#perience% Kuestion + and =$ 8 and ($ and 7 and ' were identical sets of Auestions% -n each set$ comparative MP+ clips of operatic cadenGas were provided$ which participants could clic/ on to play% "he participant was then as/ed si# Auestions% Because of the structure of the online survey$ the first four Auestions were as/ed as one Auestion and the last two Auestions were as/ed as a following Auestion% So each clip and identical set of Auestions too/ up two Auestions% &or the first Auestion$ the participants answered 1st clip$ 5nd clip or not sureLcant answer% &or the second Auestion$ they answered yes$ no or not sureLcant answer% &or Kuestions + and =$ the cadenGa was from the end of the first verse of (abenera from BiGets Carmen% "he first singer was Conchita Supervia$ recorded in 1*+)%1) "he second singer was Maria Callas$ recorded in 1*(=11% &or Kuestions 8 and ($ the cadenGa was from the end of Che gelida manina0 from Puccinis 1a Boheme% "he first singer was >osM Carreras$ recorded in 1*'715% "he second singer was !lessandro Bonci$ recorded in 1*)(1+% &or Kuestions 7 and '$ the cadenGa was from the end of 5hen 7 am 1aid in Earth0 from Purcells Dido and 'eneas% "he first singer was >essye 3orman$ recorded in 1*'71=% "he second singer was mma Nir/by$ recorded in 1**518%

2esults
ighty nine people carried out the survey over three wee/s% "he Auestions and results can be seen in !ppendi# a% ;sing the filter tools on www%polldaddy%com$ also produced separate results for the 1* people who had had no musical education 4!ppendi# b< and the 5+ people who had achieved grade ' or above in singing 4!ppendi# c<% 2ather than list the results$ -ve created charts to illustrate them$ which can be found in !ppendi# d%

6iscussion
Question 1 $he Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines vibrato as: ! rapid$ slight variation in pitch% Oou can play the clip below of me singing without vibrato and then with it to see how it sounds "his wasnt a Auestion% -t 0ust e#plained vibrato% 3o answers were reAuired% Question 2 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 2< ,ave you had paid1for music lessonsJ - could perhaps have used the term private music lessons$ rather than paid1for to avoid confusion with normal school lessons% But the spread of musical e#perience
1) 11 15 1+ 1= 18

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle$ recorded in Paris in 1*+)% &rom %u4er8ia& in O4era and %ong3 3imbus% 3-7'+(L7 L'amour est un oiseau rebelle$ recorded in Paris in 1*(=% &rom 1a Di8ine% M-% 8=7)5 Che gelida manina0from 6os9 Carreras& ' Celebration3 2ecorded in 1*'7% 6ecca% =7'1'7* Che gelida manina0from Prima )oce : 'lessandro Bonci3 2ecorded in 1*)(% 3imbus% 7*5* 5hen 7 am 1aid in Earth0 from Purcell& Dido and 'eneas3 2ecorded in 1*'7% 6ecca% =7'5151 5hen 7 am 1aid in Earth0 from (enry Purcell& Dido & 'eneas3 2ecorded in 1**5% 6ecca% =7871*8

was well balanced% "his was partly because - monitored the participants musical bac/ground over time$ and near the end of the survey period$ as/ed for certain groups to achieve a balanced spread of participants% Questions 3 and 4 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 3< ?isten to clips of two female stars singing (abanera from BiGets Carmen 4the words mean$ -f you donPt love me$ - will love you H and if - love you$ youd better ta/e care of yourselfI< and then answer each Auestion "he vast ma0ority thought Conchita Supervia had more and faster vibrato and preferred Maria Callass vibrato% 2eferring bac/ to the introduction$ its plain that people found the vibrato of Supervia obtrusive% !nd if we follow Seashore and ,owes reasoning$ thats why they preferred Callass vibrato% "here was no consensus on whose vibrato was bigger$ though% "his Auestion was deliberately left vague$ as - wanted to get a general feeling of which people thought had a bigger vibrato% - could have as/ed for which vibrato people thought was wider or louder but left it as bigger to avoid going into definitions of width of vibrato 4oscillation from the pitch< or loudness of vibrato 4which doesnt really ma/e sense as a term and people might mista/e this to mean general loudness<% Questions 5 and 6 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 5< 3ow listen to clips of two male stars singing Che ;elida /anina from Puccinis 1a Boheme$ where 2odolfo realises hes in love and sweet hope has settled in his life "hese two sets of clips were similar to those used in Kuestions + and =$ in that they compared a singer with a fast vibrato recorded a long time ago 4and therefore with a noticably crac/ly recording< with a singer from the recent past% But this time it was two tenors% !nd again$ people did not li/e the obtrusive vibrato of Bonci$ and they would have li/ed him to use lessI .hat may be interesting to note is that Carmen and ?a Boheme are either by Meditteranean composers or set in the Medditerranean% "hey are both full of passion and vibrato has long been seen as an effect which can add emotion to a note% -t would be interesting to gauge peoples reactions to a light vibrato singing these cadences% .ould people have felt it was lac/ing a bit of ?atin passionJ Questions 7 and 8 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 7< ,ere are two different female stars singing Dido<s lament from Purcells Dido and 'eneas% 6ido is dying$ and as/s her maid to remember her$ but to forget her fate "hese two Auestions were comparing something different% -nstead of comparing a fast vibrato singer from the turn of the 1*th century with a recent singer$ - compared a modern age operatic singer with a light vibrato singer$ what could be called a representative of the nglish School of singing% "his Auestion produced strong and fascinating results$ as can be seen in the chart .hyJ "his song is well1/nown$ even to many outside the classical music world$ and is seen as being British% .as part of the reason for the strong preference for a light vibrato a sense that the foreign showiness was inappropriate for such a dignified and poignant sceneJ :f those without any musical education$ only 55Q preferred >essye 3orman and (7Q of them wanted her to use less vibrato% Contrast this with those who have grade ' in singing: twice as many preferred her and half as many wanted her to use less vibrato 4see !ppendi# d chart: 4 #tra Chart 1<% !re trained singers more open1

minded about foreign singers singing our songs$ or narrow1minded in thin/ing that all singers should use the full operatic vibrato taught at our conservatoiresJ My survey cant answer that$ but - for one would li/e to /nowB Question 9 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 9< Eibrato is: -ll go through these Auestions one by one% ! result of good singing techniAue "his was inconclusive% Slightly more agreed or strongly agreed with this 4==Q< than disagreed or strongly disagreed 4+5Q<% 5=Q were unsure of this% Something which is taught or copied from famous singers 4opera or pop< Most people agreed with this% -nterestingly$ one can also conclude that people without a musical education thin/ vibrato is taught or copied from famous singers$ while those with one dont agree% ,ere is a disconnect% !nd the ne#t Auestion strengthens it%%% Something which is natural to all humans when they sing :nly 55Q people agreed or strongly agreed with this% :f those who hadnt had any music lessons$ only 1(Q agreed or strongly agreed$ while of those who have grade ' or above$ +)Q agreed or strongly agreed% So the vast ma0ority of the public thin/ vibrato is not only unnatural$ but is taught or copied from famous singers% "hat is an isolating gap between the general public and the operatic world% ! pleasing thing to hear 8+Q of participants agreed or stongly agreed with this$ while ++Q werent sure or couldnt answer% :nly 17Q disagreed or strongly disagreed% Something which ma/es me disli/e opera Most 4(*Q< disagreed or strongly disagreed% Something which$ after having heard these clips$ - thin/ - disli/e generallyI "his received similar results to the previous Auestion% "his results at least show that$ although most people dont thin/ vibrato is for them$ they do generally li/e to hear it$ and most of them arent put off by it% Question 10 4see !ppendi# d chart: Question 10< &inally$ herePs .hitney ,ouston singing 7 ,ill al,ays lo8e you% !nswer the Auestions below and youPre doneI !gain$ -ll go through these Auestions one by one% She RswitchesS vibrato on and off '7Q people either agreed or strongly agreed with this% :pera singers do not switch vibrato on and off ,alf the participants disagreed or strongly disagreed with this$ but again$ a significant minority agreed or strongly agreed that opera singers do not 4or can notJ< switch vibrato on and off% :f those who had not had any music lessons$ +7Q agreed or

strongly agreed% 4see !ppendi# d chart: Extra Chart 2<% -ts fascinating that people who havent had a musical education thin/ .hitneys vibrato is the same as opera singers and those with an education thin/ its different% -n my view$ its pretty clear that its basically the same% But it seems that people are trained to thin/ theres something different$ special$ about operatic vibrato% !gain$ this view is isolating% "he public seem to thin/ the wind has changed and opera singers are stuc/ in an old1 fashioned showy vibrato which they cant switch off and which they$ the public$ cant relate to$ especially when there are pop singers li/e .hitney ,ouston$ and many more modern singers$ varying the vibrato 4and of course$ using endless effects in the studio H along with their fellow operatic singers and all the shenanigans that goes on after a classical recordings been made<% ,er use of vibrato adds emotion to the song 7=Q people agreed or strongly agreed with this% .hitneys vibrato is different to the vibrato youve heard opera singers using "here was a strong difference of opinion between those who had grade ' in singing$ where 8+Q disagreed or strongly disagreed$ and those whod had no music lessons$ where only 11Q disagreed or strongly disagreed% .hitneys vibrato is obtrusive 8*Q people disagreed and 1*Q strongly disagreed% Spea/ing generally$ there is more than one type of vibrato 5(Q strongly agreed and =*Q agreed$ while only 'Q disagreed and 1Q strongly disagreed% "hese results were consitent across peoples musical bac/grounds%

Conclusion
"hese results have shown that people from all musical bac/grounds preferred modern operatic vibrato to the fast vibrato styles of the turn of the 1*th century% "he results from Kuestions + and = and 8 and ($ comparing these two styles show this conclusively - was a little surprised by this% Certainly$ when - first heard these old singers$ 0ust a few months ago$ - was e#cited by their freedom and H dare - say it H indulgence H with the music% "he vibrato has begun to grate on me a little now% But the vibrato of the present day still grates on me$ so personally$ - was pleased that most people$ and especially those without a musical education$ preferred the lighter vibrato used by mma Nir/by to that of the great >essye 3orman% !s an aside$ it also shows that there is a degree of psychological conditioning in our conservatoires% MTrbe et al have already showed that singers entering conservatoires with slow vibrato had faster vibrato after three years of training and visa versa1(% "his supports the idea that$ either consciously or unconsciously$ singers learn both to have a vibrato and to accept that there is an appropriate rate% Most of all$ the survey has shown that the public dont li/e too much vibrato% !nd they have more of a problem with it than too little vibrato% "hey may have differing ideas of what is too much$ but there is a bac/ground sense of the appropriate level for each era% !t the turn of the 1*th century$ the public$ if not the critics paid to
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6ir/ MTrbe$ "homas Uahnert$ berhard Nuhlisch and >ohan Sundberg% Effects of Professional %inging Education on )ocal )ibrato ! ' 1ongitudinal %tudy in 6ournal Of )oice% 51:( 43ovember 5))7< p%('+1(''

see singers with vibrato we would now not accept% But in my view$ and perhaps because of my bac/ground as a singer of vibrato1free Bulgarian songs$ there is still too much vibrato in the voices of most of our professionals%