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Music vocabulary · Performance and Practice

Vibrato

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, vibrato means: A small, regular variation around a note's pitch, used by singers and instrumentalists to shape the sound expressively.

In Turkish: vibrato

How it is used

Used in lessons and rehearsal to discuss width, speed and style. The amount of vibrato may change within a sustained note.

Example sentences

  1. Start the violin note without vibrato, then let the sound become warmer.

    The player introduces pitch movement after the initial steady sound.

  2. The singers reduced their vibrato so the close harmony sounded clearer.

    Smaller pitch variations help the ensemble hear the neighbouring notes more distinctly.

Common collocations

  • wide vibrato
  • gentle vibrato
  • vibrato speed
  • pitchHow high or low a sound is. Pitch depends on the frequency of the sound wave: the faster the vibration, the higher the pitch.
  • vocalsThe singing parts of a piece of music, especially in pop, rock and jazz. The main singer sings the lead vocals, and others sing the backing vocals.
  • stringsThe section of instruments played with a bow, mainly violins, violas, cellos and double basses. It also means the actual strings on an instrument such as a guitar.

More terms: Performance and Practice

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