Explain Vibrato

I've watched a number of youtube videos in my (so-far) failed attempt to learn how to sing with vibrato.

Unfortunately, as seems typical for youtube vocal lessons, the teachers contradict each other. Some say that it is a change of frequency (the pitch goes up and down) whilst others say that it is a change of amplitude (the volume goes up and down).

Which is correct, oscillation of pitch or volume?

I've listened carefully to my favorite artists and it sounds like its the volume that's oscillating but I'm unsure.

Second question, where is the vibrato generated? Is it the muscles in the diaphram that produce the vibration, or is it something in the throat? Or mouth/lips? Where should one generate the vibrato?

thanks in advance

First off, get a teacher.

The answer to your first question is oscillation of pitch. I actually don't know where my vibrato comes from, but I think it's a combination of the throat and diaphragm. You shouldn't try to artificially add vibrato to your tone - it'll sound forced. It'll come when it's good and ready.

Finally, you should get a teacher. Good luck!

If you sustain the voice from the diaphragm the way opera singers do, it'll come out naturally. I don't do vibrato (or very very little) in pop songs. It often annoys me as it sounds fake in most singers. Even Elvis sometimes had an annoying forced vibrato.

I do vibrato easily, but I don't know how exactly I do it. It just comes naturally most of the time. *shrug*

I do think it's definitely the oscillation of pitch...if I sing with vibrato and then slow it right down, I find it does feel more forced to do that, but I also notice it turns the note I'm singing into this siren type up/down/up/down note comprising TWO notes really...but when sped up again, it sounds like one note as the vibrato is quick enough to "hide" the fact the note is going up and down...does that make sense?

In terms of vibrato being a change in volume (louder/softer/louder/softer), I don't think this is quite. This to me would sound more like a type of yodelling, if someone was singing the 2 siren-type notes I mentioned above with one of the notes always louder than the other...you know?

I call volume oscillation tremolo. I call pitch oscillation vibrato.

Konaboy, you might try singing a note and alternating ee ah ee ah sounds, begin slowly and increase the speed of alternation. I don't think of this sound as vibrato but it is similar and might improve flexibility. Flexibility might have something to do with vibrato.

There may be many different ways to sing vibrato. I notice when I make voice recordings that the waveforms of some notes show instability. I remember trying with difficulty to hold the note steady. There is something inside me that makes vibrato on some notes, and I do not know how it happens.

You might record your singing with Audacity and examine the waveforms. Look for a waveform that is not steady. That unsteady note might be your natural vibrato. You might not be able to hear much vibrato, but if you can see it in the recordings perhaps you can experiment with it, try different things and learn to produce the sound.

When I tried it in a band with three part vocals the dominant band person told me to stop. I did it from the throat making wavy sounds of pitch modulation. Just sounded like the thing to do to try and imitate a good singer.

Frankly, if you don't know what vibrato is you should be getting some sort of lessons before posting on here.

That's like going on the guitar forums and asking what string-bending is.

Awe come on...be nice.