Why is it alot more easy (for me) to sustain high notes with vibrato?

[Olem]

Hello, singing folks!

I have found that when i do sirens and try to sustain at the top it´s alot more easy to sustain with vibrato, without vibrato it´s very difficult without cracking and straining, i sometimes succeed to hold a note for a long time if i support like crazy. I have a quite meaty tone when i siren. I wonder why is that (easier to sustain a top note with vibrato), could someone explain? I didn´t add an examle of me siren, but if someone wants to hear i could do it, of course.

[akarawd]

In my humble opinion and experience, it is the fact that the "pleasing" wavering caused by the vibrato covers

the unpleasing wavering caused by an unstable voice/breath support/management. It usually deploys a lot more

muscle and effort. It took me a while to realize that and first build a solid voice that can hold an "aah" for a few seconds without any cracking, wavering etc etc

I could hold a high "aa" for quite a while using vibrato but couldn't sustain any note (even below mid C) properly without it.

I know it's not a scientific explanation but I'm a learner too.

Kind Regards,

Thanos

[ronws]

Here's my 2 cents.

Proper vocal production will create a vibrato. Most voices actually have it. In fact, it takes effort to sing a straight tone (tone without vibrato.) Trying to sing the straight tone is bringing in strain. Just relaxing and singing the note, the vibrato is there. Then, singing the note and thinking "I need to sustain without vibrato", what are you doing? You are straining to "stop" something.

Edited to add:

Something else I learned from Steven Fraser. In a properly produced tone with the right amount of pressure above and below the glottis, i.e., relaxed, the vibrato comes from the secondary oscillation in the folds that slightly varies what the glottis is doing. If you are trying to stop the natural vibrato, you are trying to stop your vocal folds.

[Olem]

Thanx for your answers, Akarawd and Ron.

Well, my vibrato is not natural i think, because it´s something i have developed over time. And i have noticed that i can sustain a clean note on lower notes more easily than on higher notes. I am afraid your answers didn´t made it clear to me, though i guess Thanos answer lies closer to the truth in my case at least. Someone else?

[gno]

Vibrato is kind of a "release valve" according to tamplin. It can release tension. It could be that you may have a little tension up there that vibrato is helping to deal with. With the straight tone the tension is making it more difficult. Personally when I was developing my head voice I would get to a point where I couldn't produce vibrato above a certain pitch. I've improved, but still can't produce vibrato above Bb5 - I'm too tight up there. So my straight tone always came first, then as I developed more control, the vibrato came. Maybe you should produce an example.

[jonpall]

Above F15, my vibrato sucks, plain and simple. But hey, you can't have it all.

[Olem]

Geno, thanx for your answer, a vibrato up to B5 is very good, you should be pleased with that.

Well, i am almost certain there are some tensions on my higher notes. Maybe i will post an example some day soon so you could verify.

[ronws]

Hey, jonpall, did you mean F#5? Otherwise, F15 is way beyond my paygrade and you could do it any ole way that you can. :D

[jonpall]

I was referring to the F15 fighter plane. No, seriously, I was making a joke around the fact that Geno was "complaining" about that he couldn't do vibrato higher than Bb5 . I usually can't even reach that note (I've never seriously tried to develop my voice much higher than G5, although I have gotten a C6 and an E6 a couple of times).