I was watching a doc. on voice and it was saying that Whitney Houston had false vibrato because she used her jaw and her technique was bad. She sounds damn good to me. I though everyone has there own style and technique. When singing a song is it wrong to create vibrato from the diaphragm or is it all suppose to be vocal chord only? I am trying to become a better vocalist and I didn't realize how much there is to learn/work to sing properly. I might have to take up tap dancing. LOL

Hi Chris,

Whitney was an amazing singer IMO.  I did not buy any of her music and as she declined, I felt terrible for what she went through after having such an amazing career.  Here are some stats: (remember 170 million albums!)

This article is about the person. For her 1985 eponymous album, see Whitney Houston (album).

Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston performing at Good Morning America in Central Park on September 1, 2009 Background information Birth name Whitney Elizabeth Houston Born August 9, 1963(1963-08-09)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S. Died February 11, 2012(2012-02-11) (aged 48)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S. Genres R&B, soul, pop, dance, gospel Occupations Singer, actress, model, film producer, record producer, songwriter Instruments Vocals, piano Years active 1977–2012 Labels Arista, RCA Associated acts Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Jermaine Jackson, Mariah Carey, Enrique Iglesias, Bobby Brown Website Official website


Whitney Houston's autograph Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American recording artist, actress, producer, and model. In 2009, the Guinness World Records cited her as the most-awarded female act of all-time.[1] Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.[2][3] She released seven studio albums and three movie soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond, multi-platinum, platinum or gold certification. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts, as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video for "How Will I Know",[4] influenced several African American female artists to follow in her footsteps.[5][6]
Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.[7] She is the second artist behind Elton John and the only female artist to have two number-one Billboard 200 Album awards (formerly "Top Pop Album") on the Billboard magazine year-end charts.[8] Houston's 1985 debut album Whitney Houston became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. The album was named Rolling Stone's best album of 1986, and was ranked at number 254 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[9] Her second studio album Whitney (1987) became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[9]
Houston's first acting role was as the star of the feature film The Bodyguard (1992). The film's original soundtrack won the 1994 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Its lead single "I Will Always Love You", became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history. With the album, Houston became the first act (solo or group, male or female) to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period under Nielsen SoundScan system.[9] The album makes her the top female act in the top 10 list of the best-selling albums of all time, at number four. Houston continued to star in movies and contribute to their soundtracks, including the films Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher's Wife (1996). The Preacher's Wife soundtrack became the best-selling gospel album in history.[10]

So I am not sure about her using an incorrect vocal technique for vibrato.  If is sounds good, use it.  However, a good vocal coach can listen to you and help with those technical issues based on your own style.  That's about the best I can offer.  By the way, I think you are an awesome singer!

Rimshot

I wish I had such bad technique and vox.

Although I'm not a singer, there is as much to learn about singing as there is any other aspect of making music.  It is kinda like writing - everybody can do it, but good writers do the work for you so you can enjoy it, not think about how they did it.

@

The term "false vibrato" is not a derogatory term. It's a technique that even a singer with a natural vibrato can do. It's much more difficult to do the false one than a natural one IMO. Getting to a natural vibrato is something that's learned through proper technique. The false vibrato is something learned usually by young singers trying to imitate what they think they are hearing on recordings.

Randy

Agreed with RSP - and I've heard your vibrato...you got no worries. Some people have really fast vibrato which is natural for singers who never learned how to slow the wave down. Mostly it's just modulation from the note, usually down, in pitch. I don't personally like the jaw movement, I prefer to feel it in my throat. This was disappointing to me because I actually thought your jaw had something to do with it - it doesn't. It's a mental trick. The sound is modulated on the chord and that's in your throat.

Whitney doesn't have a false vibrato.  Sometimes when singing high and intense - belting - more parts of the body get in involved with vibrato.  Like the solar plexus and even the abs.  Some people let the jaw get involved to.  But Whitney had incredible technique with a natural vibrato.  Her vibrato didn't eminate from manipulating her jaw, the jaw was a result.  That said, you really wouldn't see many operatic singers letting the jaw get involved.

Learning how to sing - with good technique - and to be able to sing with a wide range - without damaging your voice - takes a lot of hard work.  Getting a teacher is very helpful and almost necessary if you want to develop your range into and beyond your passagio (E4 and above).  

There are a number of exercises that can help develop your vibrato, but you need to first be able to get rid of tension first, and resonate the tones with open cavaties.  You need free coordination between your TA and CT muscles.   Vibrato, to me, is the best when it is natural and involuntary.  If I try to manipulate it - like I would on guitar - it just doesn't sound right.  If I'm singing without tension the vibrato is more or less automatic.

Thanks for sharing everyone.

It's a been an interesting read so far.

best regards,
mike

vibrato.... while many call it "natural" is a learned technique. 

The ability to control it is just as important as being able to hit the right note in a melody.  As a singer experiments on their own, or is taught  vibrato technique by an instructor, the learned behavior becomes ingrained and is assumed to be "natural" vibrato. 

The "natural" vibrato of an opera singer is quite different from the vibrato of a soul singer or the vibrato of a folk singer. 

I had the pleasure of working with and singing with a lady who was classically trained. What a voice. She could sing opera like nobody's business. And there I was with my totally untrained "Willie Nelson" country hick voice. I tried to help her unlearn a few things and she taught me a few learned things. But the topic of vibrato came up and she believed that there was only one way to do vibrato. By working with her, I showed her that she was in control and could do anything she wanted with the vibrato. 

A pleasing vibrato (to me) is a singer who can control it as well as they control pitch. Where they hit a note...... hold the note....and slowly introduce a vibrato to that held note.

Vibrato that is a direct multiple of the BPM of the tune is more "natural" sounding than one that is not. 

I've got friends who are classically trained vocalists, and they would say the "jaw vibrato" is bad technique.  They taught me (right or wrong, what do I know?) that vibrato is supposed to come from the diaphram.

I think guitartrek is right about Whitney Houston - "Her vibrato didn't eminate from manipulating her jaw, the jaw was a result."  However, there are too many younger vocalists who do manipulate the jaw to achieve that vibrato.

But having said all that, you can't really knock bad technique if the musician in question is crawling with natural talent.  Never liked Whitney's jaw, but what a killer voice.  Loved the Who for years before I ever saw any footage of them playing.  I had to ask a drummer friend if that was really Keith Moon's technique.  And I had the opportunity to see Stevie Ray Vaughan at a college show, general admission seating, I was very close to the stage.  One of the best guitarists of all time IMO, but his technique was terrible!

To address the OP's comments, yes, there can be a lot involved with proper singing technique.  But that's not to say you personally will need "proper technique" in order to sing great.  My advice would be to take some signing lessons.  Maybe from a number of teachers.  The first vocal coach I ever had was terrible, and it put me off singing lessons for years.  When I finally got back into it, that second vocal coach was fantastic!

Guitarhacker


vibrato.... while many call it "natural" is a learned technique.  
 

I agree - for most people.  I learned how to do it.  I can turn it on an off at will, and control it.  But when I turn it on I do not try to subdivide it into the rhythm of the song.  I just "let it go".  Otherwise it starts to sound a little fake.  That's my personal opinion - to each his / her own.
 
However, I'm married to someone that has such a natural vibrato she actually had to learn to do a straight tone.  She can't remember ever learning vibrato.  So there are those where it comes very natually.  I don't know too many people like that.