Vibrato facts for kids

Vibrato is a musical effect that makes a note sound like it's gently wobbling up and down in pitch. Think of it like a very fast, controlled shake in the sound. The word "vibrato" comes from "vibrate," which means to shake quickly.

Musicians use vibrato to make their music sound more expressive and beautiful. It adds warmth and feeling to a melody.

How Musicians Use Vibrato

Vibrato is used by many different musicians:

• Singers: Singers often use vibrato, especially in dramatic solo songs like those in opera. In some places, like Italy, a singer's vibrato is sometimes called "tremolo."
• String Players: Musicians who play instruments like the violin create vibrato by gently rocking their finger back and forth on the string. It takes a lot of practice to do this smoothly and with a relaxed hand. Beginners sometimes try to vibrate too fast, which can make a harsh sound.
• Wind Players: On wind instruments, vibrato is made by making small, controlled changes to how you use your breath.

Vibrato Through History

Musicians sometimes have different ideas about how much vibrato was used in older music. When people play music from the Renaissance or Baroque periods on old instruments, some choose not to use any vibrato at all. Others believe that musicians from those times did use some vibrato.

Images for kids

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  Petrowitsch Bissing taught violin vibrato and wrote a book about it.

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  This image shows the difference between tremolo and vibrato in sound.

See also

In Spanish: Vibrato para niños