How to Make Your Vibrato Sound Contemporary

This lesson is especially for you if you know you need to learn to minimize your vibrato (or maybe you suspect that you need to!). Vibrato is a beautiful thing—but a lot of worship team singers tend to use so much vibrato in their songs that their voice ends up sounding more classical than contemporary. It’s really important for singing in the context of contemporary worship that we learn to control our vibrato and learn how to use it in a subtle, tasteful way—and that’s what this lesson is all about!

See the lesson resources below to:

download the lesson notes (in Downloads tab)
download the vocal workout for offline use (in Downloads tab)

Audio Workout

Downloads

Responses

Ava July 27, 2021

This is exactly what I needed thank you so much! My vibrato is very subtle, but I use a lot of it, so my voice can sound really quivery and weak.

Charmaine Brown July 30, 2021

You’re very welcome! Glad to help!

afsangel April 24, 2021

Getting a more contemporary-sounding voice is definitely something I want to work on! I was trained vocally both in the choir and in musical theatre as well as privately. I don’t use the “big waves” too often and find that I am closer to using the combo of straight and vibrato right now. Even with this being the case, I find I still don’t have a contemporary sound. I think my voice still sounds too “pretty” and I am wondering if it has something to do with resonance placement or an overreliance on head voice. There are lots of people who put “soul” into their voice (maybe the proper term is texture?), but that is something my voice seems to lack. Any advice? Thank you!

Charmaine Brown April 26, 2021

Yes, it sounds like you are probably singing with too much of a head-dominant sound, which tends to sound more classical/”pretty” than contemporary. Have you been through my “Discover Your Voice” course? If not, I would recommend doing that, and submitting a Checkpoint at the end so that I can check on your exercises and song application!

1. afsangel April 27, 2021
  
  I have been through the “Discover Your Voice” training, though it has been about a year. I have many years of vocal training, so I was planning on starting “Master Your Voice” soon. Should I start back with “Discover Your Voice?”
  
  1. Charmaine Brown May 1, 2021
    
    Yes, I would recommend that you go back through the “Discover Your Voice” course—I have completely redone the course (many of the same concepts, but with new things added!), so it will feel fresh for you, and will hopefully help strengthen your vocal foundations.

feleciagreco September 4, 2020

One other question – have you ever done a demo video singing Faithful Now or Build My life? That would be extremely helpful.

Charmaine Brown September 4, 2020

I haven’t done a tutorial for those ones yet but thanks for the request—perhaps in the future!

I have sung with vibrato for quite a while but my goal is to seriously limit it because I know that is one of the things my church’s worship team is looking for in my audition. It is very impressive that you can demonstrate literally everything, good and bad. But as I listen to you explain and sing examples, it seems as though there is also less sustaining of notes and less definite cutoffs. Is this accurate and does it work together with the more subtle vibrato used sparingly?

Charmaine Brown September 4, 2020

Hey Felecia! For sure, it’s important to work on that, especially if that’s what your church worship team is looking for. Vibrato is a very subjective thing—and I didn’t have time in this video to demonstrate all the possible ways to use it—but to answer your question (which I think I understand but please clarify if I don’t answer your question!), there is definitely a place for sustained notes (with or without vibrato) in the contemporary style. The key is to not have a wide, wobbly vibrato at the end of your held note.

Lyuda Komendant August 19, 2020

Charmaine! This is so good. I never thought about vibrato in this way, just always had it. I would really like to purchase some kind of microphone to decently record through a computer. Can you please recommend a system preferable under $500 – 800?

Charmaine Brown August 24, 2020

Hey Lyuda! Depends on what you’re hoping to do! The simplest setup is to buy a USB mic that connects directly to your computer, and then record via some DAW software (“Digital Audio Workstation”… GarageBand comes free on a Mac, Reaper is free for Windows/Mac, or plenty of others, here’s a good list: https://blog.landr.com/best-daw/)

USB mics aren’t the pro studio choice, but they’re simple and still quite effective. Here’s a good “shootout” of some popular choices: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/usb-mic-shootout-sound-samples/. We’ve used the Blue Yeti Studio a lot, it’s great!

For more of a pro setup, you’d need an interface and studio mic, and the options are extensive (and can get expensive). Interface depends on how many inputs you need to record at once, and what kind of computer connection you’re working with. Here’s an overview: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/audio-interface-buying-guide/. And then you’ll need a mic, likely a large diaphragm condenser mic… overview here: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/studio-microphone-buying-guide/.

For a pretty cost-effective setup, we use a Zoom UAC-2 (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UAC2–zoom-uac-2-usb-3.0-audio-interface) and an Audio Technica AT 4040 (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AT4040–audio-technica-at4040-large-diaphragm-condenser-microphone) into a Mac running Avid Pro Tools (https://www.avid.com).

1. Lyuda Komendant September 6, 2020
  
  Thank you so much for this information! Honestly, I just need to record my self decently to reflect my voice for the purpose of auditioning to a worship band. My camera or phone makes my voice sound very dull and does not really catch tone. I’ll look into some of these options.
  
  1. Charmaine Brown September 7, 2020
    
    You’re welcome!

How to Make Your Vibrato Sound Contemporary

’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus by Louisa M. R. Stead, William J. Kirkpatrick

Doxology by Thomas Ken

Extravagant by Steffany Gretzinger, Amanda Lindsey Cook, Sean Feucht, Ran Jackson

Here Again by Chris Brown, Amy Moody Corbett, Steven Furtick

I Surrender All by Judson W. Van de Venter, Winfield Scott Weeden

Living Hope by Brian Johnson, Phil Wickham

Nothing but the Blood by Robert Lowry

O Come To The Altar by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye

Raise a Hallelujah by Jonathan David Helser, Melissa Helser, Molly Skaggs

Won’t Stop Now by Chris Brown, Steven Furtick

Yes I Will by Mia Fieldes, Eddie Hoagland, Jonathan Smith

You Make Me Brave by Amanda Cook

Responses

Online coaching that equips worship vocalists to

Sing and lead confidently.

Courses

Video Library

Learn More

Account & Help