Also, the style of singing of art songs in the 16th and 17th centuries was one of straight, clear tones ie no vibrato. When you think of the traditional singers you like, do they have any vibrato?

Thanks,

Margarita

When people say they don't like vibrato, I bet mostly what they mean is they don't like a wobble which is too wide a vibrato. Or a tremolo which is too fast a vibrato.

I've just been to an early music workshop and I asked the very knowledgeable director about vibrato in early music. He did not think all early music needed to be sung straight tone, that much of it was written for castrati who would sing with a vibrato.

I like to think that people are singing with the best possible sound they can make, vibrato or not. And the listeners will appreciate that.

As far as vocal embellishments, Margarita, here are links to descriptions of sean nos. Styles of Traditional Irish Singing
A Brief Overview of Irish Singing

Alice in Montana

rich r

It's important to realize that singing styles are not national in nature so much as regional, local and individual. By that I mean there is not, for example, a single American or Irish singing sytle.

In the inside front cover of The Folk Songs of North America by Alan Lomax there is a map of the Folk Song Style Areas of North America and I would suggest you take a look at this when you have the opportunity. In brief, it shows
a Northern singing style extending from about New Jersey and southern Pennsylvania, along the banks of the Ohio River, on to St. Louis and out to Laramie, Wyoming,
co-existant white and black Southern singing styles south from Maryland, West Virginia, the Ohio River and St. Louis to Dallas, San Antonio to the Rio Grande, and,
a Western singing style west from St. Louis, Ft. Smith, Dallas andan Antonio.

In Ireland, the 4 provinces are the main divider.

However, within these broad general areas, there is considerable variation locally and individually.

I would say, if you're interested in singing in an authentic style, the thing to do is to get a number of recordings of real honest-to-goodness traditional singers from the broad area you're interested in and do a lot of listening.

I hope this is helpful.

All the best,
Dan Milner

Margarita

From my end of things I think a little goes a long ways. Just because Joni Mitchell and others are capable of multilevel octave acrobatics is not an excuse to do so. It has the same effect on me as some dental equipment. Singing with a vocal vibrato can be ver effective. I still love Buffy Ste. Marie fr'instance. It all depends on the song and the situation.

Oh God, protect me from Minnie Rpperton and "How Gentle is the Rain."

Don Meixner

Also, it gets boring to ornament the same part of a song with every verse, so look for ways to ornament different verses different, even when it's the same melody. Sometimes it's even more interesting to stop ornamenting for a line ot two, just for contrast.

totally confused.... MMario

Art

Is there really a way to sing something 'improperly'? Amongst my singing friends, we have a saying that 'Unless you wrote the song, or personally know the individual that did, you can't say that a folk song is being sung wrong'. One of the vital things about folk music is it's ability to change to suit the needs of those singing it at a moment's notice. Be honest... how many of us out there have heard a wonderful new song, and then tried to sing it later... only to alter the melody because a) it's out of our range, b) we didn't like a bit of it or c) we were too drunk to remember how we got home, let alone how the grace note on that last 'Too-ri-aye' went... The same goes for the lyrics. My personal motto has always been: Keep true to the spirit of the song, and the music will follow.

M

"Song of the Seals" is a good example of what is referred to above as "recitative" -- you remember at Portland Song Circle (where I enjoyed meeting you and Craig and Merle and everyone else) it was a sung story, without regid phrasing.

Listen to Moira Connell's version of "Western Highway" to see how she places her turns differently in each comearound. (I just love her recording; playing it as I cross Snowqualmie Pass toward Seattle is one of my big highs.)

Mary Ann

Penny

There is a natural vibrato for the singing voice, and each voice is unique in its vibrato. It is not a wobble or tremble of the voice, which is a forced vibration. For example, you have seen a violinist or guitar player add vibrato to a tone (rapid variation of the pitch) caused by rapidly moving the finger that is pressing down on the string. For a singer, the vibrato is a more natural tremulous effect, since it isn't a deliberate change in pitch like a trill, or as I stated earlier, a wobble or tremble of the voice, which you don't want. Whether with a voice or with an instrument, vibrato adds an expressive richness and depth to the quality of the tone. Whatever you do, you don't want to force an artificial tremble in your voice. Just keep singing, use good breath support and keep the sound from going nasal, sing music in your natural range, learn as much good vocal technique as you can, and eventually you will find your natural vibrato. Here is a website about The Singing Voice (click here).

alice in montana

I can't stand high schreeching sopranos and wobbly vibrato that sounds forced. But when a singer finds the place where the voice naturally resonates, you get a tone like a bell ringing clear. I can sing straight, but I always seem to have a little vibrato which was what I was concerned about.

My voice teacher asked me to.....you're gonna love this...go home and stick my head in a garbage can and hoot high and low until I find the resonant spot at which the can vibrated loudly. (I did this, too!)

Grace notes and turns are notes you add to the melody for an artistic effect. If you think of the song "Amazing Grace" you'll never hear any two singers perform it exactly the same.

I hope this helps, Margarita

A bit of synchronicity struck today, a colleague, much younger than myself was saying how she had lost the voice she had when young, with a nice trill, which led to another colleague, ex-chorister telling how he had been told never to use vibrato - women's voices wobble! I'm glad to hear his choirmaster was leading him astray(?)

I think, though, from what you say, that I may be doing things generally right, with a need to work on the breath support - practice required.

Thanks again, Penny